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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25893772">I Choose You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheriffsLop/pseuds/BarnaboysWilloughby'>BarnaboysWilloughby (SheriffsLop)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Momma! Jane and Poppa! Tim AU !! [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Willoughbys (2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A. Gets Married!, Aged-Up Character(s), Alcoholic! Tim Willoughby, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Arrest, Bachelorette Party, Barnabys With Their Own Identities, Bi! A., Birthday Parties, Birthdays, Bitchy! Jane Willoughby, Bonding, Bridesmaid Dresses, Car Chase, Childbirth, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Cute Rambles, Daddy Issues, Domestic Fluff, Dresses, F/M, Family, Family Angst, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Family tension, Fluff and Angst, Fun All Around, Gen, Gender Reveals, House Flipping, House Hunting, Implied Kidnapping, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Infertility, Jane has a baby !!, Las Vegas, Making Up, Mentions of alcoholism, Momma! Jane and Poppa! Tim AU, Mommy Issues, Multi, Nesting, Next Generation, Non-Graphic Abuse, Non-Graphic Alcohol Usage, Non-Graphic Drug Usage, Non-Graphic Violence, Other, Panic Attacks, Parties, Planned Pregnancy, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Platonic Spooning, Pregnancy, Protective! Tim Willoughby, Saving Kitties, Sensitive! Tim Willoughby, Sexuality, Sexuality Crisis, Stag Nights &amp; Bachelor Parties, Talking About the Past, Things get TURNT hella fast, Tim's a nesty poppa, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Treasure Hunting, Wedding Fluff, Wedding Planning, Wedding Reception, Weddings, backstories, in-vitro fertilization, infertility issues, life angst, new years fluff, spa days</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:27:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>159,962</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25893772</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheriffsLop/pseuds/BarnaboysWilloughby</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barnaby A./Original Female Character, Barnaby B./Original Female Character, Nanny/Melanoff, The Willoughby Siblings, Tim &amp; Jane, Tim/Original Female Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Momma! Jane and Poppa! Tim AU !! [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1961206</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Lapyear</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕆𝕟𝕖 :</p><p>𝔸 𝕃𝕒𝕡𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p> </p><p>            “What do you mean ‘we have to breakup’?” Jane asked over the phone.</p><p>                That’s when that dreaded beeping of the call being cut was heard. She slid her back against the bedroom door, knowing that Troy wasn’t coming home that night, and quite possibly ever again.</p><p>                The fighting started when they reached their mid – twenties. Troy wanted kids, and Jane didn’t. She didn’t want kids with Troy – at least, not yet. It wasn’t the time in their lives for kids. Jane had just gotten her bridal boutique off the ground, and she wanted to have a little bit of fun herself before she settled and had any kids. Kids were a lot of work, which was something she didn’t realize until she was adopted along with Ruth.</p><p>                When Ruth was sick, she would cry for hours on end, not knowing how to comfort herself. When Ruth was hungry, she would get into cabinets and eat entire bags of chips if nobody was watching. Ruth needed to be watched constantly, or else she would clog the toilet with her toys or get into Nanny and eventually Jane’s own makeup.</p><p>                Once Jane reached a certain age, she realized that she didn’t really want the responsibility of taking care of a baby. She knew girls at school that were having babies, and she couldn’t think of having a baby until she was maybe thirty – something . . . or ever.</p><p>Jane rarely dated, and eventually she met Troy. In hindsight, she wasn’t sure if she even liked him. She just wanted to fit in, especially after all the bullying she endured in middle school. She was back with a vengeance in high school. She became captain of the cheerleading squad, learned what was the cool stuff to dress in, learned all the new slang and how to use social media. Jane hyped herself up and turned into a demon child. She had a boyfriend, snuck out of the house, always had new things ( perks of being an heiress to the Melanoff fortune, call her spoiled if you want ), and people bowed at her feet. She had the world in her hands.</p><p>Now Jane Willoughby was sitting on the ground of a tiny apartment, in a fuzzy sweatshirt and pajama shorts, makeup running down her face. She did what she was asked of her, and tried to make Troy happy. She did the one thing she never thought she would.</p><p>She had gone to a fertility clinic around a month prior to the current events, and they helped her hold up her end of his deal. It was supposed to be a surprise. He was supposed to still love her to whatever extent he did. Jane didn’t even get the chance to tell him the news before he called to break up with her. He was gone, and she was alone.</p><p>Jane knew she couldn’t do this by herself. She didn’t have enough money on her own to buy everything she needed. After she started her boutique, she told Nanny and Melanoff that she didn’t want or need their money. She couldn’t tuck her tail between her legs and ask for more, not after the way she left. Jane was independent, or that’s what she wanted them to think.</p><p>She couldn’t stand to feel like a failure.</p><p>Jane picked herself up off the ground and walked to her vanity, before she took a makeup wipe and rubbed the stains caused by her mascara and eyeliner off her face. She took her glasses off and wiped them with the makeup wipe too,. Jane lifted the metal water bottle from her desk, and she slid the roll of thin papers from under it.</p><p>The picture was fuzzy, black and grey, with the most prominent part being a small black hole, with a bright white bean shape attached to one edge of the black. The white bean was small, and took to blinks to realize that it wasn’t a blip in the picture. It was inside of her, and it was alive.</p><p>Jane knew she could consider the . . . alternative route, but as she thought deeply about the consequences and how much she did to get herself into this predicament, the thought of that seemed redundant in a sense. The thought was stupid.</p><p>She could always give it away, but with the previous thought – the context of giving it away was also stupid. Jane, being an orphan herself, to some particularly horrendous parents, didn’t want to put it in Orphan Services. Not everyone is so lucky to have a perfect family the first try, and even though she was with a family that shared her love of music for awhile, that didn’t mean it would have the same luck.</p><p>Jane had to keep it.</p><p>She wanted it in the first place, right ?</p><p>She needed to tell someone. Jane wouldn’t tell someone to beg for money. It wasn’t like her family had money to give either.</p><p>Tim was going through a nasty divorce. A. was on the opposite spectrum, as he was getting married within the next year, and he was having a wedding with nearly five hundred guests in a barn. B., being a single man, only spent money on himself, and lived comfortably, alone, in a studio apartment. The most money Ruth would have would be fifteen dollars from selling candy at her school ( She called it a hustle ). As stated previously, she wasn’t going back to Nanny and Melanoff for money, or anything really.</p><p>Jane needed someone to talk to.</p><p>She put the roll of pictures back on the vanity before she opened up her makeup bag, and took out a tube of mascara. This particular one wasn’t waterproof, but she didn’t plan on crying anymore that night. That was the plan, at least. She was going to go to one of her brother’s house, to get the news out to one of them. It didn’t really matter which brother at this point.</p><p>Jane had put her glasses back on before she took her phone from the pocket of her sweatshirt, and her nails tapped against the screen as she input her password.</p><p>Jane planned on calling A. first. He was the one to overreact the least. When it came to groundbreaking news, he was the one to be equally as emotional, as logical. He was a little excitable at times, but she knew he would be the least likely to panic. If he were to panic, she probably would too. Jane could potentially panic again at any given moment. She needed someone to soothe her - with Tim being neurotic, and B. being single as well as far from ready to be a dad; A. was her best bet at that.</p><p>She held the phone up to her ear as she attempted to fix her sniffling. The tone rang as the phone was calling A.. It was an anxious buzzing, she figured out what she was going to say to him. Should she invite herself over ? Was that okay ? She is his sister, it should’ve been okay. His fiancée, Patience, never seemed to hate her company, but Patience was a southern belle, who knows what she was saying behind Jane’s back. The tone ended and a voice replaced the noise.</p><p>It was a young, Georgia accent from a lady.</p><p>Patience.</p><p>“Well, hi there, Jane !! What’s been going on with you, sweet thang ?”</p><p>She couldn’t tell Patience. The news wasn’t ready for anyone else besides her brothers.</p><p>“Where’s A.?” Jane asked.</p><p>“He’s out with my daddy. The big ol’ lug left his phone here by mistake. They’re shoppin’ for a tuxedo for my daddy to wear to our wedding; you know my daddy, he’d rather wear a t – shirt and blue jeans,” Patience explained. “He would’ve worn a plain ol’ shirt and jeans to his own wedding if my momma didn’t get on his tail about it!”</p><p>Jane wasn’t really listening. Patience would ramble on and on about nothing if you’d let her. Her voice turned into white noise in Jane’s mind. Once the chattering of the other woman stopped, Jane knew she had to get a sentence in before she started again.</p><p>“Could you let him know that I called?” Jane asked.</p><p>“Oh?” Patience inquired. “I mean . . . is there somethin’ on your mind, darlin’ ?”</p><p>“No, I just needed to ask him something.”</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>Patience sighed on the other end of the line.</p><p>“Well, if you’re absolutely sure that you’re fine, I won’t bother you none,” she said. “I’ll let him know you called.”</p><p>“Thanks.” Jane replied.</p><p>Jane hung up her phone, tapping the end of her nail on the screen. It was now a decision between B. and Tim. Either way, she knew the night was going to end with one brother freaking out. Tim would be the more intelligent choice, considering he’s had to deal with this type of news already, as he lived around other people and had friends that were pregnant. B., on the other hand, would probably be the more . . . safe choice.</p><p>It wasn’t like Tim would hurt her, but he was probably just as emotional as she was at the moment. He had his own baggage, and she wanted to be courteous to him, by using him as her last resort.</p><p>B., while he would still panic, didn’t really have many other worries outside of maybe his job. He didn’t have anyone to worry about, other than himself, and it wasn’t like she was going to dump the responsibility of her child, that she voluntarily brought into this world, onto him. She needed to tell someone, to get it off her chest.</p><p>She scrolled down a little further on her contact list, where B.’s contact was the first one under the ‘B’s. The line began to ring as she held the phone on her ear. The busy tone rang until the automated message began to tell her that he was unable to use the phone right now.</p><p>Jane let off a grumble as she called him again. She couldn’t think of one thing he could’ve been doing. Was a new update to a video game, or a date with a girl he met over an app more important than her? She took a deep breath, attempting to calm down before she snapped at him on answering.</p><p>The ringing ended, and the message played again – the monotonous voice of a woman saying that B. was unable to answer the phone.</p><p>It wasn’t working. He wasn’t going to answer.</p><p>Jane exited her contacts, and went to her messages. She looked under Ruth, Troy, and Patience, in order to get to her last conversation she had with B.. The last text he sent read, “I tried that cheese fondue place you said you liked. My bill was nearly two – hundred dollars, and I was farting the rest of the night.”</p><p>It wasn’t her fault that he was lactose intolerant, and made money by selling skateboards to teenagers.</p><p>Her acrylic nails tapped against the screen as she typed out her message.</p><p>“Call me, A.S.A.P.”</p><p>Jane’s heart fluttered, and not in a good way. She had to use her last resort, or she’d lose her mind, and be back to crying on her vanity, on her bed, on the floor. Her breaths were shutter. Jane couldn’t call him. She exited her conversation with B., and went down a little further.</p><p>Tim.</p><p>The sound of her nails was scarce, as she’d pause after every word, and she thought about what she was going to say next. How was she going to tell him without causing a fuss? Tears began to run down her cheeks, mascara coming off along with them. Jane tilted her head back, causing tears to run into her hair. She didn’t want to cry off the mascara again, it was nearly fifty dollars. It still slid off anyways. She felt herself hiccupping back her own sobs.</p><p>She felt as if she were begging for sympathy. Jane was never the type to want petty sympathy from others. She was usually the one to give a pep talk, or supply a ‘what – if’. Maybe not so much anymore, with most of her pep talks sounding more like scolding.</p><p>Her relationship made her miserable, and this pregnancy made it worse, but in all reality, she brought this upon herself. This was her fault.</p><p>Jane finally looked at the screen of her phone.</p><p>“I need someone to talk to. I’m pregnant. It’s all my fault.”</p><p>She bit her lips together and stifled another noise, that bordered a scream. Jane finally let off a growling yell and deleted everything she wrote. There she was, staring and panting at an empty box. Jane attempted to calm herself again before she simply typed in, “I’m coming over.” She put her phone back in her pocket.</p><p>It didn’t matter if he’d get upset, or if his ex was home. She could care less at the moment. Jane needed her brother. She was finally the one that needed a pep talk, or rather, needed the comfort, and the Barnabys didn’t pull through. She took another makeup wipe and slid the most comfortable pair of sheepskin boots she owned onto her feet before she headed to the front door. Jane took her keys and wallet off the table she had in the entryway of the apartment, and headed to the elevator of the building.</p><p>Inside the elevator was another woman, with a baby strapped to her chest by a carrier. The baby’s little hands held a ring of squishy plastic keys and they stuffed one of the keys into their mouth, before they teethed and drooled on it.</p><p>Jane stepped onto the elevator and looked to see that the woman also was headed to the ground floor. She stepped back and jingled her keys in her hands. Her eyes darted all over the room, to the security camera in the corner, the crack of the elevator doors, the social media app the woman was looking at, the mirrored walls that seemed to be closing in on her.</p><p>In the reflection, she could see the baby raising a hand to point at her, and Jane turned her head ever so slightly to see that the mirror didn’t lie. The baby was grinning and pointing at her.</p><p>“I think Maxie likes you.”</p><p>Jane gasped at the sound of the woman’s voice, before letting off a nervous laugh. She wanted the ride to end. She wanted to get out of the room with the baby she didn’t know. It was a hard time accepting babies when you could barely accept the one inside yourself. Her fingers felt as if they were beginning to numb and she felt herself beginning to quiver.</p><p>“The A.C is cold in here, isn’t it?” the woman asked.</p><p>Jane bit her lips together and forced out a ‘Mhm’, along with a nod. Being cold was a perfect excuse, considering she was in shorts. She looked like a madwoman. Her gaze averted to the mirror, where she looked at her reflection to put her hair into a messy bun with the thick banded hair tie that was on her wrist, after she put her keys in the pocket of her sweatshirt.</p><p>The ding of the elevator was a symphony to her ears. Jane left the elevator, without saying another word to the other woman, or giving even the slightest glance at the baby in the carrier. She weaved around people in the lobby before she made it to the entrance of the apartment complex. It felt as if a liberating weight had been lifted from her chest as she instantly took a breath upon the sun hitting her eyes, and ignored the perplexed glares from the people that entered the building.</p><p>She stuffed her hand in her pocket, and took her keys out before heading to the large parking lot, where she made her way to her sleek, black car. Jane took out her keys, before she unlocked the door and sat in the driver’s seat. She pressed the button to start the car, and the engine rumbled to a start, which caused the car to come to life. Her radio played the station she listens to in the morning, on her way to work. The chipper sound of a woman’s voice came through the speakers.</p><p>“Good Morning, New York City! This is Kate Ketchevin!”</p><p>A man soon followed her voice.</p><p>“And Roger Ridgewell!”</p><p>Ketchevin’s voice was the one to return to the radio as Jane backed out of her parking space, and began to drive out of the lot. Jane’s eyes scanned the road in front of her as she made her way to the road, so she could get to Tim’s house.</p><p>“Today in our studio, we are being visited by Miss Tonya Devine, a podcasting doula that specializes in home births.”</p><p>Jane squinted and shuttered at the thought of a doula. It seemed that the thought of kids was following her everywhere. She changed the station quickly, before she had to hear another word of this woman speaking. Her fingers left the touch screen of her radio, and she was listening to a rap about seeing women in the club that should be having your baby. She let off a disgruntled groan before she put her hands back on the touchscreen, while still trying to keep her eyes on the road. This wasn’t a city that you could drive carelessly in; Tim nearly got hit by a bus when they were kids, and she envisioned the headlines, “Noodle Necked Child Hit By Bus, Exploded On Impact.”</p><p>It seemed every song was about living a life where kids ( or at least the making of them ), and women, or men were involved. It was like Valentine’s Day condensed into two second clips, which was now a holiday Jane officially hated. The thought of a bouquet of roses made her want to shed a person to pieces. She eventually gave up, accepted defeat from the endless stream of radio stations.</p><p>Soon, the hustle and bustle of the city was at it’s peak, as Jane was in Times Square. The lights of the city would normally bring a sense of home to her, and the honking of horns would be an orchestra to start her day, but the advertisements of sodas and celebrities seemed so oddly . . . unfamiliar. It didn’t feel as if she was in a place she knew, and that feeling was uncomfortable. Jane was able to find comfort in almost anywhere that had a busy atmosphere, because she was a girl that always wanted to do something. She was a go – getter that was always busy, which was why she opted out of dinners with the family, video game nights with B., horseback riding with A. and Patience, and movie nights with Tim and his ex – wife, Queen.</p><p>Well, there were other reasons she didn’t go to Tim’s movie nights, but that wasn’t the most important thing now.</p><p>She trained her eyes back on the road, and squared her shoulders against the seat. Jane made her way down the street her boutique was at. She was able to stop and admire the sign that read, “The Little White Dress, By J. Willoughby” and the dresses that were held within. On the sides there were dresses of all kinds; simple empires, flowed lace A – lines, tight fitted trumpets, and bedazzled, blinged mermaids. Through the glass, under the warmly lit night lights, there it was. One of the most beautiful dresses Jane had ever laid her eyes on; it was the most expensive dress in her shop, with a bodice encrusted with fine diamond crystals, and a ballgown skirt that would hug your hips while it still filled up the floor surrounding you.</p><p>The honking of the car behind her and rude shouting of a man was the thing that interrupted her daydream of the dress she would never have. She put her foot back on the pedal and steadied her breath. Jane knew she needed to stop eying that dress. It was a fantasy of hers, and one that was so bizarre and dumb, that it would never happen. Her ex had just left her not even twenty – four hours ago. What was the point of going out and dating again after she had this baby ? Nobody would even want her after that, she would simply be damaged goods.</p><p>She turned down the intersection she was on, in order to make her way out of the city and into the suburbs, where Tim’s house was. The city’s gruff welcome was replaced by the white picket fence comfort of a suburban area, and she knew that she was there. The houses all seemed immaculate and perfect. Everyone’s grass seemed to be clipped and uniform, and every yard seemed to be plush with plants and it was like a bird bath was copied and pasted onto the landscape of every home.</p><p>Jane turned down the street that read as “Fairfield Avenue”, to see the beautifully crafted brick houses and their perfect, carbon copy front yards. Each house had a chandelier in the entryway, and each driveway had a soccer mom car. Once she finally came across the house that stuck out a little more than the rest – the car wasn’t the same shade of pearly blue as the rest, and there were no bumper stickers about how much they loved their kids, or window decals of a perfect stick figure family. The curtains were closed, rather than open, so you couldn’t see the happy parents with their hivemind kids, while they played a board game. – she knew she was at Tim’s. She pulled into the driveway, and made her way up the steps, where she rang the high – tech doorbell that had a little camera inside.</p><p>Jane looked at the little plaque by the door that read “THE HOME OF TIMOTHY WILLOUGHBY AND QUEEN KENNICOTT – WILLOUGHBY”. There were no fun little garden gnome couples, or statues of metal frogs kissing under an umbrella, like a happy couple would own, simply the golden plaque that seemed so permanent. Jane prayed that plaque would never change, to include a baby’s name, but she never thought that one day, that sign would only read “THE HOME OF TIMOTHY WILLOUGHBY”.</p><p>Finally, the giant white door opened and he stood before her. His expression was knitted into confusion and he looked to be taken back by her arrival. Tim’s clothes looked disheveled, as if he had just gotten back from work as esquire for Melanoff, and had been doing housework ever since.</p><p>“Jane ?” he asked. “What . . . What are you doing here ?”</p><p>“You didn’t get my text ?” she asked.</p><p>“I’ve been, uh, packing,” he answered.</p><p>“Packing ? Are you going on a business trip for Melanoff ?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Well, where are you going ?”</p><p>He looked down to his side, as if he wanted to avoid answering, but knowing his sister, she wasn’t going to back down until she got her answer. Tim cleared his throat and allowed her inside.</p><p>“Queen, uh . . . she . . .”</p><p>Jane took to the staircase that was situated behind the door, as Tim closed it. The echo of the door going into the doorway echoed through the deathly silent house. She watched as he scratched the back of his neck, and raised the other to talk.</p><p>“She kicked me out.”</p><p>The information seemed nearly impossible to process in her mind. She kicked him out ? This was his house !! She couldn’t kick him out of his own house, or so she thought.</p><p>“Kicked you out ?” Jane asked. “This is your house, Tim !! You bought it !!”</p><p>“Our lawyer said she gets the house, and almost everything in it,” he explained. “I get to keep my car though, and my clothes, and she didn’t want a lot of my money.”</p><p>“I don’t care !!” Jane exclaimed. “Your name is on the mortgage !!”</p><p>“Actually, it was both of our names.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you get her to sign a prenup, like I told you to?”</p><p>Tim arched his back in defense and threw his hands up.</p><p>“I didn’t know she was going to divorce me, Jane !!” he upholded.</p><p>“You should always be prepared for stuff like this,” Jane argued. “Everything can change in an instant.”</p><p>There were never truer words she has heard in a long, long time. Everything has profoundly changed in an instant. It seemed like only yesterday that they were adopted by their nanny and a candy man they barely knew. Now the twins were all grown up, and A. was getting married. Tim was married for seven solid years before his ex – wife decided to call it quits. Jane . . . was single, knocked up, and the world was falling apart around her.</p><p>He was rubbing the bridge of his nose, before he managed to look back up at his sister.</p><p>“Did you come here to get mad at me or . . .” he asked.</p><p>He squeezed past her and began to walk up the stairs, in which she followed behind, hoping they were headed towards the master bedroom, where there was an ottoman and a bed.</p><p>She wanted him to be sitting down for the news, so if he had a heart attack, he wouldn’t have too far of a fall, or if he got the absolutely insane thought to attack her, she would have more of a chance to run away. He wouldn’t attack her . . . would he ?</p><p>Maybe this was a bad idea. It was a mistake to come here. She needed to go, right now. The hallway’s walls felt as if they were collapsing in on her, and the doorways seemed to disappear. Her hands were in her hair and she couldn’t help but to stop. She couldn’t turn, couldn’t move – she collapsed.</p><p>“Jane !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>Her hands were buried in her face and it felt like every bit of emotion she had been fighting back had just come out at that moment. She felt avalanches of the petrifying fear, mudslides of the furious anger and hate, thunderstorms of the smothering sadness swooned in the hollow cave that was her body. Her sobs were the choir of the church that had no home, as she couldn’t feel at home even in her house.</p><p>“Hey, hey . . .”</p><p>Warm hands pulled her into a hug and she wrapped her arms around the body they were attached to. Her face squeezed into the angular crook of a noodle neck. Her nails dug into the soft fabric covering a bony back.</p><p>Tim.</p><p>Home.</p><p>Her death grip softened, and she snuggled instead of suffocated. Jane continued to cry into him, allowing this threatening feeling to come out, so she would be overwhelmed no longer. She focused on his hands, as they ran up and down her back in a gentle pace. His breath was mellow against her shoulder. His tone was soft as he repeated the words, “It’s okay” into her body. She pulled back from his shoulder and had her hands on his shoulders.</p><p>“What’s wrong ?” he asked.</p><p>Tim took her glasses off her face and inspected them, before going to the bathroom in the door to their right. He turned the faucet on, and wet the lenses of her glasses.</p><p>“Screw these decorative towels,” he mumbled.</p><p>Jane hiccupped as she calmed herself down. She decided to start with the easy news first. She could get through Troy leaving without crying, because she recognized that the man was a scumbag, and that she was better off without him.</p><p>“Troy left me,” she sighed.</p><p>Tim was wiping the mascara tears off of her glasses with a dumb towel that had the word ‘Laugh’ embroidered in the blue terry fabric. He raised an eyebrow in inquisition.</p><p>“Why’d he do that?” he asked.</p><p>“Don’t know,” Jane answered. “Didn’t give me a reason.”</p><p>“I’m glad the jerk is gone though,” Tim said. “Now we could have movie nights at your place.”</p><p>“I could use the company,” she replied.</p><p>Jane fondled the sleeves of her sweatshirt, as she continued to avoid Tim’s eyes. She had to build herself up for the hard part now. She couldn’t drag it out any longer, or else she would have another breakdown again.</p><p>“You can’t be alone for more than –“</p><p>“I’m pregnant.”</p><p>She heard the clicking of her glasses against the marble counter.</p><p>His response was immediate.</p><p>“I thought you didn’t want kids ?” he gasped. “Was it an . . . accident ? If it was, there’s a clinic on Gatesburry –“</p><p>“It was planned,” she answered. “And it isn’t even his.”</p><p>“Did you . . . you know?”</p><p>“No,I didn’t cheat on Troy, if that’s what you’re insinuating !!”</p><p>He lifted his hands, and lightly rocked them, as if he was consoling an attack dog.</p><p>“Okay, okay,” he whispered. “How is it planned, but not his ?”</p><p>“In – Vitro,” she explained. “I went to another clinic and did the whole process. I wanted to surprise him.”</p><p>“But you didn’t go through the process of making a baby with him ?” Tim asked. “He’s been begging you to have kids with him.”</p><p>“I wanted to do it on my own terms,” Jane responded. “I didn’t want it to . . . I didn’t want the power to be in someone else’s hands. I wanted to have control over it – control over me.”</p><p>“I hate to burst your bubble, Jane,” he started. “But pregnancy is still something you don’t have complete control over. You never know what’s going to happen later.”</p><p>“What are you trying to say?”</p><p>“Just that . . . you never know.”</p><p>“No shit, Sherlock.”</p><p>Tim picked up her glasses from the nightstand before he went and sat next to her. He handed her the glasses and allowed her to put them back on her mascara covered face.</p><p>“So, where are you going to go from here ?” she asked.</p><p>“I don’t know,” he replied. “Maybe a hotel for the time being ? I mean, I could live with one of the Barnabys for awhile, just until I get a house again.”</p><p>Jane was silent as she thought for a moment.</p><p>“You could always come and live with me.”</p><p>He jolted at the proposal and blinked a few times, as if he waited for her to pull the excitement rug from under him and claim she was kidding.</p><p>“Jane, are you seriously suggesting –“</p><p>“That we live together for a little bit ?”</p><p>“You live in a two - bedroom apartment !!” he exclaimed.</p><p>“Yeah, one bed for me, one bed for you,” she said. “Tim, you’re acting weird.”</p><p>“Am I ?” he asked. “What about when the baby comes ? They’re going to need a room too !!”</p><p>“How long are you planning on staying ?” she asked.</p><p>“What if I never find another house, and we have to live together forever?”</p><p>“I thought I was the one with the ‘what – ifs’ ?”</p><p>Tim let off a chuckle and shook his head, before putting his hand on her back.</p><p>“Well,” he started. “Things can change in an instant.”</p><p>She let off her first laugh, even if it was the tiniest one, of that day. Jane leaned on him and snuggled her head back into his neck.</p><p>He leaned his head atop hers too, as they both stared at the end of the hallway, facing in front of them. Nothing was on the wall but one of those inspirational signs that were always in stores that Nanny loved to go into.</p><p>“In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity. – Albert Einstein”</p><p>Jane shook her head and scoffed at the quote. That was definitely a sign Queen had hung in the house, because it was cheesy enough to be in the house, but not mushy enough to be one picked by Tim. The sign taking the Tim’s sensitive crown was one in their den that read, “Your love is all I need to feel complete.”</p><p>“Is that supposed to make sense ?” she asked.</p><p>“Does anything make sense anymore ?” he asked.</p><p>Jane shrugged at the notion.</p><p>He had a point. Nothing really seemed to make sense that day. It felt like a fever dream, or as if she would wake up at any given moment and Troy would be awake at her side, looking through his social medias. It was not a dream, this was all real. B. was an adult in his bachelor pad, A. was getting married within the year, Tim and Queen had divorced, and now the chapter of the oldest two Willoughby siblings had begun.</p><p>Jane now had a roommate, and she wasn’t alone for the time being. Maybe having Tim around wouldn’t be so bad. He was right. They could have movie nights at the apartment whenever they wanted, and Queen wouldn’t be yelling and whining about people’s feet being on the couch, or Jane’s pajama top being too low, or too high. She could get Tim to watch scary movies with her, even if that meant sitting through romantic comedy – action fusion movies with him.</p><p>“Do you need help with packing ?” she asked.</p><p>“Can you even lift boxes ?” he asked.</p><p>She clicked her tongue, before she rolled her eyes and nudged into his side with her shoulder.</p><p>“Hey !!”</p><p>“I’m pregnant, not crippled.”</p><p>“I just want to make sure that we don’t hurt the baby !!”</p><p>“Tim, the baby’s no bigger than a poppy seed.”</p><p>He put his hand on her stomach, and jiggled the little bit of fat Jane had on her stomach ( probably from eating a half pint of ice cream while watching her guilty pleasure show, ‘Bachelorette In Paradise’ ).</p><p>“All the more reason be have to protect them.”</p><p>She pushed his hand back towards his body, as she scowled at him.</p><p>“Why are you more concerned about my baby than I am?”</p><p>“I just want everything to go okay for you, Jane.”</p><p>She sighed and nodded before she placed her hands on her knees and lifted herself up off the ground. Jane held out her hand to help Tim’s giraffe body off the floor before she dusted off her shorts and began to head towards the master bedroom.</p><p>“Okay,” she agreed. “But if you ever wiggle my belly fat again, I will break all your fingers.”</p><p>“Alright, alright.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. State Of Agsnosthesia</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕠:</p><p>𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕆𝕗 𝔸𝕘𝕟𝕠𝕤𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕒</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p> </p><p>                Tim had unpacked in the guest bedroom of Jane’s apartment for the past few days. It was his temporary home, but having Jane around made it feel more like a home than he felt in his own house. There were senses of life that Tim had never experienced, and some that made the apartment feel livelier than his old house. The T.V was running at almost all times when they were home, whether it be playing an episode of ‘Bachelorette In Paradise’ or music. The guest room had some of his own things on display, things Queen would never let him have up, like his college flag and posters he had of old movies that he enjoyed.</p><p>                He sat back on the bed before feeling a tiny paw bat the back of his ankle. Tim promptly lifted the sheets to see a bluish cat, with his fur going grey with age. He lifted the fat tabby cat from under the bed and held him in front of himself. It was nice to see a pet again, especially the one they grew up with in the old Willoughby house that still held a place in his heart.</p><p>                “It’s been awhile, hasn’t it ?” he asked.</p><p>                The cat simply purred in response as his eyes began to shut.</p><p>                “I missed you too, Cat.”</p><p>                “He has a name, you know ?”</p><p>                Jane was standing at the doorway, leaning against the frame. She adjusted her glasses, before she sat next to him on the bed. Her hand went for the green collar that was around the cat’s neck, and she flipped over the shiny, silver tag.</p><p>                “Smokey ?” Tim asked. “Creative.”</p><p>                “Says the guy who has cut his hair into the same bowl – cut since we were kids,” Jane teased.</p><p>                Tim gave a smile and rolled his eyes as he shook his head.</p><p>                “Shut up.”</p><p>                “At least you save money on haircuts,” she claimed. “I have to spend so much money just to get a trim, and forget about my waxing funds.”</p><p>                “Waxing ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “My upper lip doesn’t just stay smooth by itself,” she answered. “Having a mustache may be great in our book, but after awhile, it doesn’t feel comfortable anymore.”</p><p>                “Why do you say that?”</p><p>                “Imagine sweating on your upper lip.”</p><p>                “Can’t.”</p><p>                “Of course you can’t. It’s been nearly a decade and you still haven’t sprouted a single mustache hair.”</p><p>                “Queen didn’t mind it.”</p><p>                “You look like a tall, exhausted child, Tim.”</p><p>                “Whatever.”</p><p>                He put the cat, or Smokey, as he was now going by, onto the bed, which allowed the poor animal to rest his tired bones. Tim looked at his left hand, and saw the dull gold wedding band that was still on his ring finger. He hadn’t taken it off, even when the divorce papers were dropped in front of him. It felt like it still meant something, there was a lot of history behind it, and so much sentiment. He loved the memories he had with Queen, even though the amount of memories he loved were scarce. There was a time that there might’ve been love between them.</p><p>                “You still got that thing on ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                Tim rotated the ring around his finger. He didn’t break eye contact with it. He couldn’t.</p><p>                “I don’t feel right taking it off.” He answered.</p><p>                “Do you think you and Queen are still going to make it ?” she asked.</p><p>                Tim shrugged, and he continued to roll the ring around his finger. He couldn’t tell if there was still hope there, or if he was desperate. He was probably the ladder at this point. Queen could easily go off and find another guy to replace him, and it took him months to get her. She might find a super successful business man, with a business that rivaled Melanoff’s.</p><p>                “It’s okay to give up,” Jane said. “Sometimes, memories are made to be just memories.”</p><p>                “I don’t like the term ‘giving up’,” he responded. “I tried, I really did.”</p><p>                “That’s all you can do, Tim,” she reassured. “You act like trying and failing is a bad thing.”</p><p>                He put his face into his hands and slumped his back. He wasn’t going to cry, he had convinced himself of that. What was there to cry over ? No matter what he did, or how many tears he shed; Queen was gone, and he failed her. He did his best to be a good husband. Tim always made dinner, and would watch T.V at the lowest volume he could hear at, so she could rest after work. He would buy her nearly whatever she wanted within reason, and he would take her on dates every single weekend. Still, he failed her.</p><p>                He felt a hand on his back, acrylic nails scratching at the fabric of his shirt. The touch was gentler than he was ever really used to. He didn’t know what a hug felt like anymore . . . again. Tim leaned under Jane’s arm and onto her shoulder. His head was in the divot of her neck. He stopped fidgeting with his ring and held his hands together.</p><p>                “I just wanted to be a great Willoughby.”</p><p>                “You are.”</p><p>                “I don’t feel like I am.”</p><p>                “I don’t think either of us do.”</p><p>                They were both staring into the mirror that was against the wall in front of them. Jane was right, he looked like a tall, exhausted child. There wasn’t even a five ‘o clock shadow on his face, but there were bags, and one prominent sign of aging was a wrinkle between his eyebrows. He called it his ‘What The Hell ?’ line, considering that’s what he thought a majority of the time at work.</p><p>                Now that he noticed, Jane didn’t look old either, but considering that they’re both twenty – eight and twenty – six, respectively, he didn’t expect her to look old. She looked different. He never paid attention to the way the hair in front of her ears framed her face in crescent swoops, or the fact that her glasses had changed from the thick frames to chic horn – rims.</p><p>                “You need sleep, tall child !!” he teased.</p><p>                She laughed, which was something she hardly seemed to do anymore. Jane allowed him to adjust into a more comfortable position.</p><p>                “<strong><em>You</em></strong> need sleep, tall child,” she teased. “It seems those bags are getting heavier by the day.”</p><p>                “Are you trying to say I’m ugly ?”</p><p>                “That isn’t what I said,” Jane corrected. “But, if you want to borrow some of my anti – wrinkle cream, it’s in the left drawer of my vanity. You might need it.”</p><p>                He sat up and elbowed her side, causing both siblings to laugh again.</p><p>                “For your information, I haven’t slept in almost a week,” Tim claimed.</p><p>                “And I’ve been getting up at four in the morning because I’ve been puking like one of the Barnabys after they eat an entire cheese pizza and a milkshake,” Jane argued.</p><p>                Tim felt a devious smile come upon his face before he said his next statement.</p><p>                “That’s what that noise was ?” he asked. “I thought the washing machine was out.”</p><p>                This was met with a fluffy throw pillow to his face.</p><p>                “Hey !!”</p><p>                “You jerk !!”</p><p>                He grabbed the other pillow that read in curvy, near cursive letters ‘Start The Day With A Smile’, and whacked it against her arm, which caused Jane to topple onto the bed.</p><p>                The oldest Willoughby siblings were in a giggle – fit, laughing like Jane used to with friends at the sleepovers she had long ago, or when Tim would be at the roller rink with the rest of the student council back in school. Both pelted eachother with their respective throw pillows.</p><p>                Jane landed the final blow before she got off the bed and tossed the pillow back upon the pile of others. She swept her hair out of her face and adjusted her glasses yet again. Her chest rose and fell softly as she panted to catch her breath, and Tim was doing the same.</p><p>                “I invited the Barnabys over for dinner tonight,” she said. “It’s about time they knew too.”</p><p>                “Are you comfortable telling Patience ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                It wasn’t as if Tim didn’t like Patience, because she was by far an upgrade from A.’s psychotic ex – girlfriend. He was more worried about Jane. He heard her crying the other night about the whole situation, but he knew she needed space too. Tim couldn’t be breathing down her neck all the time, even though, in his heart, he wanted to help her in ways she had helped him.</p><p>                Jane was definitely a great Willoughby.</p><p>                He wished she saw it too.</p><p>                “She’s not coming,” Jane answered. “She’s off deciding on the other colors for the wedding.”</p><p>                Tim didn’t get to help much with his own wedding. Queen had to have it her way, and he complied, even though he wasn’t a fan of the colors . . . or the flowers . . . or the wedding.</p><p>                “I hope she doesn’t choose something like champagne, or canary, or brown,” Jane said. “I am not wearing a brown dress if I’m a bridesmaid.”</p><p>                “I wouldn’t mind wearing a champagne colored suit,” he opposed. “I think champagne’s a nice color. It’s not too hard on the eyes.”</p><p>                She rolled her eyes and let off a chuckle.</p><p>                “Of course, you wouldn’t.”</p><p>                Tim’s stomach rumbled, and after years of starving as a kid, his stomach was an angry beast that always reminded him that he needed food. It was embarrassing when you’re at a meeting, in a room full of strangers from all over the country, and your stomach decided to show the room how great it was at imitating blue whales.</p><p>                “What are we going to eat tonight ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I was thinking I make some lasagna,” Jane responded. “I’m just sad that I can’t put cottage cheese in it, or a lot of cheese period. I love when I cut a piece of lasagna, and there’s gooey stretches of cheese.”</p><p>                “Why do the Barnabys have to be such buzzkills ?” Tim chided. “Need help ?”</p><p>                Jane shrugged and turned on her heels out to the kitchen. She was at the island of the kitchen, as she got the glass pan she was going to use to cook her lasagna in.</p><p>                “Can you make tea ?” she asked.</p><p>                “What kind ?”</p><p>                “Sweet.”</p><p>                “No raspberry tea ?”</p><p>                “Does my kitchen look like a coffee shop ?”</p><p>                He shook his head before going to the small pantry of the kitchen. Her apartment was so much different than his old house. Her pantry was so much smaller than the walk in one that he and Queen had, but at least he didn’t have to bend all the way down to get things.</p><p>When they were growing up, it seemed that the Barnabys were going to be the tallest, standing at a whopping six foot two each, with Jane stopping her growth in her sophomore year at five foot seven, and Tim seeming to stop at six feet exact. When Tim turned twenty, his body had one last hurrah and he shot up to be six foot seven. There were doors he had to duck under, and there was no way he could comfortably fit in small spaces. He and Queen were an odd couple, considering he was a beanstalk, and she was a shortstack of five foot four. Their wedding day was a little awkward when it came to the kiss, and that should’ve been the first sign of their marriage not working out.</p><p>“What’s it like ?” he asked aloud. “Living so close to the heart of the city ?”</p><p>                “Amazing,” she answered. “I don’t have that far of a commute to work, and I could walk to the Baker Street Bistro every morning to get a coffee.”</p><p>                “Doesn’t it ever get hard to sleep ? It’s like the sun’s always peeking through the curtains, and I’ve woken up to honking every morning for the past three days.”</p><p>                “You get used to it,” Jane responded.</p><p>                Tim finally found the tea bags and took out four. He laid them on the counter before he looked through her cabinets for a pot to boil water in.</p><p>                “Back in the suburbs, I’m used to the alarm clock waking me up,” Tim claimed. “I was up by five thirty, to put on a pot of coffee, make breakfast, make lunches, and get ready for work.”</p><p>                “I have to wake up to put on my makeup, do my hair, pick out clothes for the day,” Jane listed. “And I normally have enough time to go to the bistro and get a cherry danish and coffee before I open up.”</p><p>                “Where was Troy in all of that ?” he asked.</p><p>                Jane remained silent for a moment. She even seemed to stop making dinner for a minute, before she went back to piling another layer of pasta over top the sauce.</p><p>                “Does it matter ?” she asked.</p><p>                Tim let off a sigh as he pulled a pot from the middle shelf of the cabinet he was going through. He filled the pot halfway with water as he looked over his shoulder to see Jane, nearly robotic in her movements.</p><p>                “Guess not.”</p><p>                “What’s the obsession with social media ?” she asked. “Like, I love going on and checking my stuff, I always have –“</p><p>                Tim smiled as he clicked on the stovetop and placed the pot on the heating plate. He raised and eyebrow and shook his head.</p><p>                “Don’t have to tell me twice,” he teased. “Ever since you got a phone, you were possessed by some sort of demon spawn.”</p><p>                She let of a mocking laugh as she poured the next layer of sauce over top the pasta.</p><p>                “Very funny,” she responded. “It was like Troy was always on his phone; texting, posting status updates, liking pictures, unless he was out at work, or partying. He barely ever wanted to do stuff with me, like . . . this. It’s nice to have company when I’m making food, or even going to get food.”</p><p>                “You guys never danced in the kitchen while making dinner ?” he asked.</p><p>                He was actually surprised that she didn’t manage to drag him into it. When they were younger, Jane and Nanny would sing and dance along to the radio while making breakfast, or Jane would drag Melanoff, the Barnabys, or even Tim himself into spinning and hopping around the tile floors.</p><p>She seemed so much happier when she was singing or dancing.</p><p>                “Did you and Queen dance in the kitchen ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                He rubbed the back of his neck, realizing he didn’t ever truly slow dance in the kitchen with his wife. Maybe that little spark would’ve helped her feel like she was in a loving environment, and made her stay.</p><p>                “No.”</p><p>                He put the tea bags into the pot of water. His ears seemed to perk at the sound of alternative trip hop coming through the speakers in the living room. Tim shivered at the sudden hand against his shoulder that spun him around. He saw Jane, as she began to sway her hips and lift her arms in the air. Tim joined her, and swung his hips while he lifted one arm in the air.</p><p>                Jane came in closer and bumped the side of his hips with her own.</p><p>                Tim reached forward and grabbed her wrist before he pulled her towards him. Their fingers were interlocked and they both pulled eachothers’ hands back and forth between their bodies. It probably wasn’t the dance that matched the music the most, but they were having fun, and that’s what really mattered. He pulled her arm up to spin her around before he let her go back to making the lasagna.</p><p>                “Doesn’t it feel nice to do that again ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Yeah,” she answered. “It’s nice having you around.”</p><p>                “I’ll always be around,” he reassured.</p><p>                She didn’t say anything, but Tim turned to see that the slightest smile was on her face. Maybe Queen being out of his life was a good thing. It seemed like he was able to be around his own family more, because when he was married, she didn’t like everyone being over, because ‘they didn’t like her’. He started to suspect whether or not there was a reason behind that.</p><p>                The tea was foaming due to heat, and he took the pot off the plate, before he turned it off.</p><p>                “Do you have a pitcher I could pour this in ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Cabinet above the microwave.”</p><p>                He was easily able to reach the cabinet she was talking about, and he took the glass pitcher down before taking it over to the counter, where the tea was cooling off. Tim took a wooden spoon out of the vase full of wooden utensils that sat next to the sink, and set it down next to the pitcher. He saw the sugar while he was looking for the tea bags, so he went back to the pantry and got out the half full bag of sugar from the fridge.</p><p>                “Melanoff is testing new recipes,” he claimed. “After the Little Ruthie flopped, he decided to try something new. I said we should make like these chocolate eggs, and put like . . . little ducks inside.”</p><p>                “Ducks ?” Jane asked. “Why ducks ?”</p><p>                Tim opened the bag of sugar before he poured the sugar into the pitcher. He continued to assemble the tea as he explained his new candy idea to Jane.</p><p>                “They could be collected, like the stuff in cereal boxes,” Tim explained. “Aren’t kids into collecting stuff anymore ?”</p><p>                “Tim, they have phones now,” Jane claimed. “There’s this girl on Pictogram, and she’s like, six, with nearly four million followers, just because she does those unboxing videos.”</p><p>                “What’s so good about those anyway ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I don’t know, I’m not a kid.”</p><p>                Tim sighed and shook his head, as he took the pitcher to the water cooler. The tap water was absolutely horrendous in New York City, and anybody that had lived in the city could tell you that.</p><p>                “A. told me it was a dumb idea too,” he said. “Back to the drawing board too.”</p><p>                “If you put free phone apps in candy, I’m sure kids would go absolutely nuts,” Jane reassured. “You guys will think of something eventually.”</p><p>                “Apps in candy, you say?”</p><p>                “Oh god, did I give you an idea?”</p><p>                Tim felt himself begin to smirk as he planned ways that could possibly work.</p><p>                “Perhaps.”</p><p>                “Watch your side.”</p><p>                He looked to his right to see Jane, as she opened the door to the beeping oven. She wouldn’t be able to do that soon. He knew that he better start practicing on his squats to loosen up his kneecaps, so he could help her when her belly was too big for her to get down. He wasn’t going to say anything yet. Tim knew Jane cared about her appearance, and her vanity would be at stake if he mentioned that her stomach was going to look like a beachball in a few months.</p><p>                The lasagna was in the oven and the tea was almost done.</p><p>                “Should we set the table ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Why ?”</p><p>                “It’s an important dinner !!”</p><p>                Jane shrugged and pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose as she looked at the baren glass dining room table. There were no centerpieces, plastic placemats – the table was far from eye catching.</p><p>                “I was just going to use paper plates,” she said. “I’m not having anyone special over.”</p><p>                “I’ll do dishes,” Tim offered. “Then we can get out fancy plates, and fancy cups.”</p><p>                “For the Barnabys ?”</p><p>                “Well, you’re going to tell them that you’re pregnant, aren’t you ?” he asked. “They should have a fancy uncle dinner to remember this night.”</p><p>                “We just went to Ham Bros. and got burgers when told you,” she reminded.</p><p>                Jane squinted and pushed him in the shoulder.</p><p>                “You’re thinking about that picture with Great Uncle Edmund and his family, aren’t you ?” she accused.</p><p>                Tim’s voice seemed to leap in octaves as he raised his hands in defense.</p><p>                “What ? No !!” he squeaked. “Okay, maybe.”</p><p>                To his relief, she laughed it off and went to the cabinet that she kept her ceramic plates in and got four plates. She took them to the table and put them on the placemats.</p><p>                “If you’re doing the dishes tonight . . .” she trailed off.</p><p>                He went to the living room and picked up the white pot that contained a flourishing daffodil plant before he brought it to the table and placed it in the middle of the table.</p><p>                “Is that from the living room ?” she asked.</p><p>                He shrugged before he walked to the cabinets and looked through them to find the glasses.</p><p>                “Looks nice, doesn’t it ?”</p><p>                “I guess it looks a little better.”</p><p>                “I should’ve been an interior designer,” he contemplated. “I mean, I did design the living room at my old house.”</p><p>                Jane’s tone became stern with her next words.</p><p>                “Do not come in my house and try to hang up a ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ sign.”</p><p>                Tim raised his eyebrows as he set the cups on the table and tilted his head. A ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ sign would look nice in the living room, over the T.V, or he saw a nice sign while shopping at a craft store with Queen that said ‘Keep Moving Forward’.</p><p>                The music seemed to change into ambient classical and he looked to Jane, who was on her phone.</p><p>                She made eye contact with him and tilted her head.</p><p>                “It makes the house feel fancier,” she defended. “Watch this.”</p><p>                Jane looked to the ceiling as she walked around the table to the light switch. There was a tiny knob under the switch that Jane turned back and the lights dimmed, as if they were in a fancy restaurant.</p><p>                “Your apartment can do that ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Perks of the modern age,” she teased. “House Willoughby couldn’t do that.”</p><p>                “I guess there is some perks of living in Chateau Le Jane,” he joked.</p><p>                She laughed, and not a tiny giggle, a hearty, real laugh that Tim hadn’t heard since they were kids. This in turn caused him to beam, like he hadn’t in the past seven years of being married.</p><p>                “What did you call my house ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Chateau Le Jane,” Tim stated with a sense of pride.</p><p>                “You are <strong><em>so</em></strong> cheesy,” she teased. “You’re like a dad.”</p><p>                He wiggled his eyebrows at the statement. Tim went to get the paper towels and tore off four sheets that he separated before he sat back at the table. He folded the paper towels into triangles before setting them on a plate.</p><p>                Jane went around the table and filled up the glasses with sweet tea.</p><p>                “The table looks really good,” she complimented.</p><p>                “A little effort never hurts,” he claimed.</p><p>                She set the pitcher on one side of the potted daffodils before she flicked him on the back of the head and stood to fold her arms.</p><p>                “It’s not my fault that my ex was a lazy bastard,” she argued. “I run my own business, and that guy couldn’t even bother to put a new roll of toilet paper on the holder when it was out.”</p><p>                “Why were you with him ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “I could ask you the same thing,” Jane deflected.</p><p>                “Fair.”</p><p>                Jane turned to face the large windows that showcased the entire city and its beauty to the apartment.</p><p>The lights still blared, even though the sun had set. The cars were still packed in the busy road, like sardines. The noise of traffic hadn’t died down from rush hour, because every hour is rush hour. People were still scattered among the sidewalk like ants. The stars didn’t seem to matter because the city provided the light. There were so many crooks and crannies that hadn’t been explored yet, not just in New York City, but the world.</p><p>                “It’s pretty, isn’t it ?” she asked.</p><p>                Tim looked up from his last paper towel triangle and looked out of the windows too.</p><p>                “It’s okay,” he commented. “I’d rather not live in the city. Too many people.”</p><p>                “Like the suburbs doesn’t have a lot of people ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Well, yeah, but you get used to them after awhile,” he clarified. “Once you have block parties, and invite people over for dinner, you become a community.”</p><p>                “You could never do that here,” Jane said. “My neighbor leaves for work every morning, smelling like bourbon and unchecked emotions.”</p><p>                “So, you smell that too ?” he asked. “I thought I was just smelling things.”</p><p>                “The smell makes me sick,” she claimed. “I enjoy a good glass of white wine myself, but to start smelling like it . . . ugh, I can’t.”</p><p>                “Are you getting morning sickness that bad ?” he asked.</p><p>                She turned back around with her mouth open as she nodded.</p><p>                “Yes. I smelled the gasoline fumes coming from the Fresh Food Market truck this morning and threw up for the next fifteen minutes.”</p><p>                “Ew !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>                “What ? You asked !!” Jane insisted.</p><p>                “For fifteen minutes ?” he repeated.</p><p>                “Yes !!”</p><p>                “Does your throat hurt ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I had a throat coat tea from Baker Street Bistro on my way to work,” she reassured.</p><p>                “We need cough drops,” he stated. “I’ll go to the store this weekend, when I get the chance.”</p><p>                “Tim, you’re doing so much,” Jane pouted. “You don’t have to. I can go shopping.”</p><p>                “Jane, it’s fine,” he urged. “I don’t mind. I live here now, too.”</p><p>                “I like getting out of the house,” she confirmed. “It gives me something to do too.”</p><p>                “How about we go together ?” Tim compromised.</p><p>                “Okay,” Jane agreed. “Together.”</p><p>                Both of them were quiet, as Tim went back to folding the last triangle napkin.</p><p>                “I don’t like being by myself,” Jane stated. “The apartment’s too empty without someone else here.”</p><p>                Tim lifted his head up and knitted his eyebrows in sympathy.</p><p>                “Jane . . .” he soothed.</p><p>                The oven ringed, allowing Jane to know that the oven was done cooking. She ignored him and went to the island, where the oven mitts sat in a drawer. She slid the oven mitts onto her hands before she got down to pull the lasagna out of the rack. Jane set the lasagna on the island, allowing it to cool before the Barnabys got there. They should’ve been there any minute by now.</p><p>                “It smells great,” she hummed.</p><p>                Jane wafted the smell to her face and gave a sniff to the lasagna.</p><p>                “I can smell it from here,” Tim agreed. “It smells amazing.”</p><p>                “What are some things you made when you were still with Queen ?” she asked.</p><p>                “There was this dish that her mom taught me to make,” Tim started. “It was called papadzules.”</p><p>                “What’s that ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “It’s like enchiladas, but not,” Tim attempted to describe. “I’ve gotta make it for you sometime.”</p><p>                “Can I ask this and not sound offensive ?” she asked again.</p><p>                “Shoot.” Tim confirmed.</p><p>                “Why do Hispanic people like chile on their sweet stuff ?” she asked. “I had a Mexican mango lollipop a few days ago, and that thing was coated in chile powder.”</p><p>                “No idea,” Tim answered. “I don’t get it either. Queen’s mom brought over some pan dulce last month and those conchas taste like mayonnaise.”</p><p>                “Mayonnaise ?” Jane asked. “Why would someone make a pastry taste like mayo ?”</p><p>                “Mexican food has some great dishes, but it also has some of the worst things I’ve ever tasted,” Tim stated. “I had pozole too, and I really liked it. It was just so spicy.”</p><p>                “Like, how spicy ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “You’d love it, but we’d have to rush A. to the hospital immediately because his tongue would burn off,” Tim said.</p><p>                “That’s right, he has a messed up tongue,” Jane remembered. “I was planning on using this hot pasta sauce I got from Fresh Foods. Good thing I didn’t.”</p><p>                “Hot pasta sauce ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, it has like, tabasco peppers in it,” Jane explained. “It sounded great.”</p><p>                “Still kind of weird,” Tim teased.</p><p>                “Shut up,” she responded immediately.</p><p>                “They sure are taking awhile,” Tim said. “Do you think they’re coming ?”</p><p>                “A. lives like forty minutes out of town,” Jane reminded. “They might be stuck in traffic, or Patience probably dragged him into an hour long boardroom discussion about her color swatch choice.”</p><p>                Tim laughed at the thought of Patience pacing around the room and endlessly chattering about whether or not she made the right choice in colors. If B. were there, he would be telling her all the other choices she could’ve made and hyping her up for even crazier ideas, while A. was slowly withering away about the girly details.</p><p>                He finally placed the last squared on the final plate before he stood to get the silverware out of the drawer. Tim placed the forks and knives pointing perpendicular to eachother on the plate.</p><p>                “This looks like a Pin – It board idea,” he claimed.</p><p>                “Don’t tell me you’re on Pin – It,” Jane commented. “Nanny’s on Pin – It, but she’s a grandma.”</p><p>                “So what if I am ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I’d be convinced that you’re a middle aged soccer mom stuck in a twenty – eight year old man’s body,” she kidded. “You’re already making me lean that way with the car you drive and your choice of interior design.”</p><p>                “Hah – hah,” he mocked. “You’re so clever.”</p><p>                As if on cue, the doorbell rang, and made a melodic chime that echoed around the house. The noise even caused Smokey to emerge from the bedroom Tim was staying in, and he twitched his ears in annoyance to his rude awakening.</p><p>                Tim stood up and went to the door, where the two twins stood.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Experiencing Kudoclasm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 :</p><p>𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕂𝕦𝕕𝕠𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕞</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                “Hey guys, you finally made it,” Tim greeted. “We didn’t think you were coming.”</p><p>                “He didn’t think you guys would make it,” Jane corrected. “I knew you’d get here eventually.”</p><p>                “Sorry, Tim.” Both twins apologized in unison.</p><p>                The fact that they still did that, even all these years later, was enough to creep the older two up. For awhile, it seemed like a phase that they would outgrow, as they grew up and became different from one and other. You could definitely tell the difference between the two now, but you could still tell that both Barnabys were twins.</p><p>                As he looked up from the tinfoiled pan in his hands, A. squinted at Tim.</p><p>                “It seems every time I see you, you get taller,” A. claimed. “Oh well, at least I’m still the greatest Willioughby.”</p><p>                The twin laughed at his own tease of the famous Willoughby mustache legacy. He really was the only one to keep the mustache after awhile, and all the girls fawned over the fact that he had a bushy man – stache in highschool, considering most guys can’t grow one well into their twenties, or in Tim’s case, not at all.</p><p>                “We’re not doing that anymore !!” Tim reminded.</p><p>                “Besides, isn’t the lip sweat the worst ?” B. added.</p><p>                Jane picked up the lasagna and took it to the table, where she placed it between two of the plates in order to serve everybody.</p><p>                “See, B. gets it,” Jane agreed. “Mustaches aren’t for everyone. Besides, you can be great without one.”</p><p>                She noticed the pan in A.’s hand and tilted her head.</p><p>                “Whatcha’ got there ?” she asked.</p><p>                “A peach cobbler,” A. answered. “Patience’s mom said I should bring something. I guess it’s rude to come to someone’s house without food, or a present.”</p><p>                “You didn’t have to bring anything,” Jane reassured. “It’s still nice of you though.”</p><p>                “You really spruced up the dining room table !!” B. pointed out. “What’s the whole fancy thing for ?”</p><p>                “Well uh . . .” Jane started. “W – We’ll get to it.”</p><p>                “Is it a celebration dinner of being single again ?” B. asked. “Maybe I should start making my table look nice again. Every day is single day for me. Anyway, it looks great, feels like a restaurant.”</p><p>                “Welcome to Chateau Le Jane,” Tim greeted. “May I lead you to your seat?”</p><p>                This caused both the twins to laugh and brush him off before they sat next to eachother at the table.</p><p>                “Triangle paper towels ?”, “Snazzy. Five stars.”</p><p>                Jane finally plated lasagna for herself, and she and Tim settled in their seats. All the siblings began eating the lasagna, with A. and Tim being the fastest to take their bites.</p><p>                “This is really good,” A. complimented.</p><p>                His twin let off an ‘Mhm’ in agreement.</p><p>                “Thanks,” Jane accepted. “I decided not to use my tabasco pasta sauce, just for you, A..”</p><p>                “So, how’s wedding planning going, A.?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Well, she decided on white, champagne, grey, and red for the wedding,” A. responded. “Then we talked for nearly an hour about what color we’re going to make the parties wear.”</p><p>                Jane and Tim let off low, humming laughs at their correct thought. Of course, Patience dragged him into the planning part. In the long run, it might’ve been a good thing, considering she would simply start over before getting too indecisive again about another set of colors.</p><p>                “What color is everyone wearing ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “The best man and maid of honor are wearing champagne,” A. clarified. “And the rest of the party’s going to be in grey.”</p><p>                “I’m gonna be the best man !!” B. blurted.</p><p>                “Who said that ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “I’m your twin brother,” B. reminded. “It’s obvious that it’s going to be me. It has to be me !!”</p><p>                The other twin acted like he was in deep thought, as if the decision was hard, and life changing. A. acted like he had so many candidates in the running to be that important person, the one to put the bride back if she tried to run away.</p><p>                “I mean, if you have to be . . .” A. chided.</p><p>                The newly crowned best man looked at the other two Willoughby siblings, giving them a look of smug pride at the honor that had been bestowed upon him. Little did both twins know, there would be even more honor given to them that night. They would be walking out, not only as a groom and his best man, but as first time uncles too.</p><p>                “I do have a favor to ask of you, Jane,” A. proposed. “Well, Patience told me to ask if it’s okay.”</p><p>                Jane knitted her eyebrows at the statement, before she took a sip of the sweet tea.</p><p>                “What does she need ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “She wanted to know if she could come in next week to start looking for her dress,” A. explained. “And maybe in a few weeks, she could come back and look for the bridesmaid’s dresses too.”</p><p>                “She doesn’t have to ask,” Jane claimed. “If she came into The Little White Dress, I’d welcome her and her party with open arms. It’s great for the business, and I’m sure I could give her input towards the styles of dresses we have.”</p><p>                “Great !!” A. exclaimed. “Do you know any good suit places we could go to ? I want to get good quality suits for my groomsmen.”</p><p>                “You didn’t get a good suit for Patience’s dad ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “I’m not shelling out money for a suit that man can and will spill red wine on by the end of the night,” A. stated. “Besides, he’s only going to wear it once. I know my groomsmen might have more than a one time use of a suit.”</p><p>                “Who’s going to be your other groomsmen ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Well, I already asked Patience’s brother, Isaac,” A. said. “But, I thought I might ask you too. I already reached out to mom and dad to ask Ruth to be in the wedding, and Patience asked her best friend from the farmer’s market to be part of the wedding.”</p><p>                “But you can’t be the best man,” B. stated. “That’s mine.”</p><p>                “Yeah, best man’s already taken,” A. reminded. “But, second in line isn’t.”</p><p>                They all laughed at the protectiveness of the best man’s position. It was a part that was made for B., at least in A.’s wedding. In Tim’s wedding, the one thing he was able to choose was his party, and that was his siblings. Ruth was the flower girl, A. and B. were groomsmen, and Jane was the best man – or best maid, as she referred to herself as.</p><p>                Tim’s bachelor party was in Sveetzerlund, and they skied sloped, drank hot cocoa, and were able to look through binoculars, to see some parts of the dandy dirigible that still clung to the Unclimbable Alps. It was a nice vacation that Jane had planned, and quite possibly the last time Tim truly had fun before being on the ol’ ball and chain lockdown for the next seven years of his life.</p><p>                “I’ll take second in line,” Tim agreed. “Besides, you realize that being the best man is a lot of responsibility, right ?”</p><p>                “You have to plan the bachelor party,” Jane pointed out. “Remember, it’s going to be A.’s last night as a free man. You really have to let the party go out with a bang. Do you have enough money to plan a great party ?”</p><p>                “Psh, yeah,” B. claimed. “I’m . . . I’m sure I’ll figure out how to get enough money for a great party.”</p><p>                “You can’t just order takeout and plan a movie night,” A. claimed. “I want to go clubbing at the most high end club, and do vodka shots with the most expensive brands. You’d be in for that, right, Jane ?”</p><p>                Jane managed to plaster a smile on her face and she nodded.</p><p>                “Mhm.”</p><p>                The smile fell from her face and she scooted back from the table. Jane stood up and looked towards her bedroom.</p><p>                “Excuse me,” she dismissed. “I have to use the bathroom.”</p><p>                Something was wrong, but Tim couldn’t make it seem like something was wrong. Everything had to be perfect.</p><p>                Jane left the table and went to the bedroom, which left the brothers all alone at the table.</p><p>                “So, what’s it like being around Jane all the time ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “It’s actually kind of nice,” Tim said. “After awhile of not being able to be around you guys, it’s great to spend time with you two, and Jane.”</p><p>                “Do you think my marriage is going to be like that ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “No, Patience actually likes being around us,” Tim reassured. “At least, she seems to like us.”</p><p>                “Queen didn’t like us ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Absolutely not.”</p><p>                “<strong><em>Wow</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “What’s there not to like ?” B. asked. “I’m smart, I’m funny, I’m incredibly handsome.”</p><p>                “I don’t know how I feel about that confidence in this context,” Tim responded.</p><p>                “Yeah, stop trying to hit on Tim’s ex – wife, B.,” A. teased. “She thought I was the handsome, smart, and funny one.”</p><p>                “Lots of people thought you were handsome,” B. responded. “They did call you ‘The Handsome One’ in school.”</p><p>                “What did they call you ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Well, I wouldn’t want to hurt your feelings,” B. joked.</p><p>                ‘The Handsome One’ squinted at his twin and tilted his head. A. leaned in closer to his brother, and he didn’t break eye contact.</p><p>                “What’s <strong><em>that</em></strong> supposed to mean ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “You know, Jane sure is taking awhile in that bathroom,” B. dismissed. “She loves lasagna night. Y’know, I should go check on her –“</p><p>                Tim stood up from the table, maybe a little too fast to make it seem calm. He caught his breath and steadied himself, as not to fall over from the blood rushing to his head.</p><p>                “I got it,” Tim stated. “You guys should really keep eating. Jane worked hard on dinner.”</p><p>                “<em>Yeah</em>, B., you should really stay here,” A. urged.</p><p>                Tim walked to the bedroom to see the bathroom door was cracked open, allowing a sliver of light to peek into the dark bedroom. He walked to the door and entered into the bathroom, where Jane was sitting on the floor with the roll of photos from her ultrasound.</p><p>                “Hey, what’s wrong ?” he asked. “You left really fast.”</p><p>                “I can’t do this, Tim,” she sighed. “H – How am I going to tell them ? Wh – What if they get mad ?”</p><p>                “What is there to get mad about ?” Tim asked. “You’re the one having the baby. There’s nothing they should be mad over.”</p><p>                “I feel like an idiot, Tim,” she said. “I shouldn’t have went off and did this. I should’ve went the natural way, and maybe I wouldn’t be single.”</p><p>                Tim managed to curl up his giant, lanky limbs to sit on the floor next to Jane. He looked over her shoulder to see a black space, and a grey – ish little blob attached to the side of the black space. There were multiple pictures of this grey blob, even though they all looked the exact same. It then clicked in his mind.</p><p>                A baby. <strong><em>The</em></strong> baby.</p><p>                Tim wanted desperately to touch her stomach, and hug her, telling her that everything was going to be okay, but he didn’t. She did say she was going to break his fingers if he touched her belly fat ever again, and he wasn’t risking it. He simply put his arm around her shoulders and let her lean on him.</p><p>                “You’re not an idiot, Jane,” he reassured. “You did things the only way you felt comfortable, and there isn’t anything stupid about it.”</p><p>                “Troy really wanted a baby,” she whispered. “But, I just . . . couldn’t with that guy.”</p><p>                “He didn’t deserve one,” Tim defended. “You didn’t owe him anything. He didn’t deserve a baby, he didn’t deserve <strong><em>this</em></strong> baby, he didn’t deserve y-“</p><p>                Tim stopped himself, before he got too mushy and she snapped at him. Jane could be optimistic, but she wasn’t affectionate, at least, she hadn’t been affectionate in the past twelve years of her life. There has been rare occasions that she’s hugged people since they were kids. She was different now, and it was hard accepting that.</p><p>                “Look, when I said that I think you’re a great Willoughby, I meant it,” Tim soothed. “And a great Willoughby eventually stops wasting their time on lowlifes like Troy.”</p><p>                “And tightwads like Queen ?” she asked.</p><p>                “If that makes you feel better,” he started. “Yeah.”</p><p>                She put her arms around his torso, a feeling Tim hadn’t felt in a long time, from anyone besides Nanny. The feeling of someone’s warmth, especially a rare warmth like Jane’s, made him melt into her arms as well. He enjoyed the feeling, it was exhilarating. Tim felt himself smile, and if he hugged her any longer, he would’ve cried.</p><p>                “Are you going to tell them tonight ?” he asked. “If you need me there, I’ll be by your side the whole time.”</p><p>                “That means a lot,” Jane responded. “I think . . . yeah. It’s about time I tell them, but I really want you there too.”</p><p>                Tim let go of Jane, and braced his hands on the bathroom counter before he lifted himself up. He held his hand out to Jane and helped her up.</p><p>                She straightened out the roll of pictures, and looked at the eight she received. Jane took a big breath in before she slowly exhaled. She took one last look with Tim and went out the bedroom and back to the tiny dining space, with Tim not so far behind.</p><p>                “What did they call you, B.?” A. asked.</p><p>                He was in B.’s face, as he still was latched onto the idea of what they called B. in school. It was juvenile pettiness that only the twins would have.</p><p>                “Look, Jane’s out,” B. stated.</p><p>                They both looked at Jane and took the roll of pictures from her when she handed the roll to the twins.</p><p>                “What’s that ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “An ultrasound,” B. added.</p><p>                “Is it a tumor ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “No, an appendix,” B. corrected.</p><p>                “Yes, an appendix,” A. agreed.</p><p>                “Is your appendix okay, Jane?” both chorused.</p><p>                “It’s not my appendix,” Jane shot at them. “It’s something else.”</p><p>                “So, it’s a tumor ?” A. repeated.</p><p>                “Has to be a tumor.” B. agreed.</p><p>                “It’s not a tumor,” Jane insisted.</p><p>                “What else is on an ultrasound ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                It seemed as if the light went off in both the Barnabys heads at the same time, as their eyes widened and they instantly looked at eachother, then back at the roll of pictures, then at Jane and Tim.</p><p>                “<strong><em>You’re pregnant</em></strong> ?”</p><p>                Jane fiddled with the sleeve of her shirt and nodded. She shuffled closer to Tim as if she were looking for a human shield.</p><p>                “And Troy <strong><em>left</em></strong> you ?” B. asked. “I’ll hunt him down and I’m gonna kill him !! I’m going to kill that deadbeat when I find him !!”</p><p>                “I’ll help you hide the body, B.,” A. offered. “Patience’s family farm has pigs and they eat everything, especially other pigs.”</p><p>                “He doesn’t know !!” Jane shouted.</p><p>                She covered her mouth and her hand grabbed onto the back of Tim’s shirt. She shook her head and adjusted her glasses.</p><p>                “I . . . I did in – vitro fertilization,” Jane explained. “The baby’s not even his.”</p><p>                “Who’s baby is it then ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “A doner’s,” Jane clarified. “I don’t know who the actual dad is either, but that’s how the process works. They ask you what you’re looking for within a baby, and find a doner suited for your wants, and then they, y’know ? Do all the stuff before they put the baby in.”</p><p>                “You’re going to do this alone ?” B. asked. “I can barely take care of myself.”</p><p>                “You got some guts, Jane,” A. complimented. “And I’m all worked up about this whole wedding thing. I – I . . . I haven’t even thought about having kids in the next five years.”</p><p>                “I – If you ever need a cool babysitter, you could uh –“ B. started.</p><p>                “You could call me !!” A. interrupted. “I could teach the baby how to make dirigibles of their own.”</p><p>                “Not without a blueprint, genius,” B. argued. “We could show them how to play some killer video games, and then I have a little niece or nephew to show pictures of my trips to Macchu Picchu and Japan to.”</p><p>                “And I could give them the best piggyback rides they ever had,” A. exclaimed. “And Patience could teach them how to make her famous bourbon blueberry pie, or her mom’s peach cobbler !!”</p><p>                “Speaking of that peach cobbler, are you guys still hungry ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Open it up,” A. encouraged. “This calls for a celebration.”</p><p>                “Hey, do you still have that wine I got you from Italy ?” B. asked. “We could uncork it and . . .”</p><p>                He stopped talking once he looked at Jane’s face, that reminded him of her current state.</p><p>                “Right.”</p><p>                “Besides, I’m doing really good right now,” Tim added. “I just got my five year chip from my A.A meetings.”</p><p>                “That’s great, Tim,” A. encouraged. “Are we going for six ?”</p><p>                “Of course I am,” Tim agreed. “I have reasons to go for six now.”</p><p>                “Gotta rub it in Queen’s face that you’re so much better now,” B. claimed.</p><p>                “Or maybe because I’m going to be an uncle too, and I want to be here for Jane and the baby ?” Tim reasoned. “Or maybe because I just want to be ?”</p><p>                “Motivation,” A. claimed. “I like it.”</p><p>                “So how big is it ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “Like the size of a poppy seed,” Jane said. “Maybe a little bigger.”</p><p>                “I’ve picked boogers bigger than that,” A. claimed.</p><p>                “Don’t compare the baby to your boogers,” Jane ordered.</p><p>                Tim went by the dining room table and picked up the empty ( if no, almost empty ) plates of lasagna, and placed them into the sink. He brought over the plates of peach cobbler before he went back to get the pan and put it on the table.</p><p>                There were too many things on the table, the pitcher of sweet tea that was almost gone, the pan of lasagna, the small daffodil pot. Tim knitted his eyebrows as he held the pan of peach cobbler in his hands.</p><p>                “Where am I going to put this ?” he mumbled to himself.</p><p>                “I got this,” A. answered.</p><p>                He picked up the daffodil pot and placed it over top of the lasagna, before he slid the lasagna pan into the middle. There was surely more room, but now the daffodil pot had to get washed off because the pasta sauce that stuck to the bottom of the pot.</p><p>                “Fixed !!”</p><p>                Jane, Tim, and B. couldn’t help but to sigh. The twins were both a mad genius; A. being out his mind at times, and B. being the more practical of the two. Sometimes A.’s half – baked ideas shrouded his intellect in one dumb cloud. It wasn’t like he wasn’t good at things, because both the Barnabys carried their talent and creativity into adulthood, but it was questionable at times.</p><p>                “You really are ‘The Handsome One’ . . .” B. sighed.</p><p>                “Wait a minute . . .” A. muttered. “Did people call you ‘The Smart One’ ?”</p><ol>
<li>ignored A.’s question, and continued to eat his peach cobbler.</li>
</ol><p>                “They thought I was stupid ?” A. exclaimed. “Did everyone think I was the stupid twin ?”</p><p>                “Nobody said you were dumb,” Tim reassured. “You’re assuming that we’re insinuating everyone did.”</p><p>                “I can’t believe I went through high school being known as the dumb twin,” A. continued. “I am not the dumb one.”</p><p>                “Nobody said you were,” B. reinforced. “You’re assuming that everyone did.”</p><p>                “Did you guys think I was an idiot ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Everyone has their dumb years,” Jane reassured. “Nobody’s smart all the time. You guys know a lot more than I do about engineering, aviation, all that stuff.”</p><p>                “Thanks, Jane,” A. accepted. “That . . . makes me feel better.”</p><p>                “You’re not stupid,” B. soothed. “Just a little . . . creative.”</p><p>                “Now you’re sucking up,” A. stated.</p><p>                “I might have to butter you up with compliments, so you won’t be so disappointed in your bachelor party,” B. said.</p><p>                “I was kidding about the clubbing, you know?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Well, yeah,” B. agreed. “Since when do you like vodka ?”</p><p>                “This is why you’re my best man,” A. replied.</p><p>                “I know,” B. agreed.</p><p>                “So, how does it feel, Jane ?” A. asked. “Having a human leech inside of you ?”</p><p>                “Not much different than having a human leech outside of me,” Jane said. “At least this one isn’t blowing our money on parties, or sitting on the couch for half the week.”</p><p>                “You might have to move out soon, Tim,” B. teased. “I think this is your nine month eviction notice.”</p><p>                “I could always sleep on the couch !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>                “With your calves and head hanging off the edges ?” A. asked. “Good luck on getting a good night’s sleep. On top of all that, you’re going to have to deal with a sleep deprived Jane and a crying baby.”</p><p>                “Well, living with one of you guys wouldn’t be much different,” Tim claimed. “I’d still have to deal with a crying baby.”</p><p>                Both twins gasped, before B. reached over the table to push Tim’s forehead back, while A. got his arm.</p><p>                Jane and Tim began laughing before the twins laughed along with them.</p><p>                “You have to be used to crying babies anyway,” B. giggled. “You lived with a huge one for nearly eight years.”</p><p>                “Speaking of Queen, did you take your ring off already ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “No, I don’t think I’m ready to yet,” Tim justified.</p><p>                “No, Tim, your ring,” B. interjected. “It’s not on your hand.”</p><p>                Tim felt panic bubble within his chest, before an odd sense of clarity set over him. He had it on when he was making the tea, but he hadn’t looked at his hand since. He didn’t even know how long it was gone for, he didn’t notice that it came off in the first place. It wasn’t . . . as hard as he thought it would be. He scrunched his eyebrows has he examined his hand.</p><p>                “It feels naked,” he claimed. “I kind of forgot what my hands looked like without a ring on my finger.”</p><p>                Jane got up from the table and went back to the bedroom. Her return was quicker than when she was in the bathroom, but she returned with a little box that she set in front of Tim.</p><p>                “I was saving that for your birthday,” she started. “But, you might need it now.”</p><p>                Tim opened the box to reveal a sleek black watch. He hadn’t worn watches ever since he was in school, because Queen said that they looked stupid. They made his wrists look tiny and his arms look weak.</p><p>                He pulled the watch from the box and put it on his wrist. Tim held his arm up to inspect his wrist, and how it looked now that he didn’t have a wedding band on, but now he had one of his favorite accessories on his wrists. It looked nice, and he might’ve argued, better.</p><p>                “I think I’ve always been more of a watch guy,” he agreed. “Where’d you get this from, Jane ?”</p><p>                “Yes, Jane, tell us.” Both twins chimed.</p><p>                “It’s a secret,” Jane teased. “I can’t let you guys know who my watch dealer is.”</p><p>                “You’re lame !!” B. exclaimed.</p><p>                Jane gave a smile and shrugged at the comment. He could call her whatever he wanted, nothing could hurt her. They were her brothers, and their insults were meaningless. Besides, she’s heard it all at this point in her life. Being the girl who had it all, there were definitely people out there that didn’t like her, and called her far worse. Let’s be honest though, she was far worse than she was now, and she’d take lame over any other cruel thing the other girls called her back in school.</p><p>                “Now imagine another woman in your arms,” A. urged. “Like a supermodel.”</p><p>                “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Tim shut down. “I think I’ll stick with the watch for now.”</p><p>                “Guys, he did just go through a divorce,” Jane reminded. “The wounds are still raw.”</p><p>                “From being absolutely whipped by his ex ?” A. asked. “If I divorced Queen, I’d be running around town, shoving my divorce papers int everyone’s faces.”</p><p>                “Me too.” B. agreed.</p><p>                “We all would, but we don’t need rub it into Tim’s face,” Jane objected.</p><p>                “You know what ?” Tim started. “I think I’m starting to like not having it on.”</p><p>                “Are you serious ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Dead serious,” Tim agreed.</p><p>                “Now imagine a supermodel in your arms –“ A. started.</p><p>                “Okay, you’re pushing it,” Tim stated. “I just said that I’m okay with taking it off, not that I’m completely over my divorce.”</p><p>                “It’s a step.” Jane stated.</p><p>                “It really is,” both the Barnabys agreed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Strike Of Rigor Samsa</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕠𝕦𝕣 :</p><p>𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕆𝕗 ℝ𝕚𝕘𝕠𝕣 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕤𝕒</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                Nine weeks. It was confirmed at the doctor the previous day that Jane had now hit nine weeks, and she was three months into the pregnancy. She pulled her pajama shirt close to her stomach to see if there had been any changes. Nobody at work had pointed out any difference, and every time she asked Tim, he would simply say she looked just as great as she did last week.</p><p>                The door to the bedroom opened and Tim poked his hand through the crack.</p><p>                “You can come in,” she called.</p><p>                The door opened, and he had a portfolio full of papers that he had been working on for the past three and a half weeks. The front was labeled “Project Ideas”. He had been brainstorming nonstop, and it seemed like any time Jane tried to converse with him, he would somehow wedge the new candy idea he was going to propose at the Melanoff’s company meeting into the conversation.</p><p>                “Today’s the day, isn’t it ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Today <strong><em>is</em></strong> the day !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>                “So, let me get this straight,” Jane started. “Your idea is to put collectable trading cards into chocolate eggs, and program a completely new app, within the next few months ?”</p><p>                “Well, it’s still in the thinking stage, but I’m sure that I’ll be able to convince Melanoff that we can do it,” Tim reassured. “We have tons of staff at offices on both coasts. I’m sure our Cali office has a lot of hip twenty – two year olds that know how to make apps from the comfort of their own phones.”</p><p>                “Okay, if you say so . . .” Jane responded. “Do I look different ?”</p><p>                He gave her a smile and the corniest thumbs up.</p><p>                “You look just as great as you did last week.”</p><p>                “No; do I look different ?”</p><p>                “You look amazing.”</p><p>                “Tim, do I look pregnant ?”</p><p>                “You look beautiful; why do you keep asking ?”</p><p>                Jane sighed and lifted her shirt to expose her stomach to her dresser’s mirror. She rubbed her hand over her skin and squeezed a little bit of the fat she had on her stomach. She felt a little bit bigger; but the question was, was she bigger because the baby or was she bigger because she had been eating full course meals that Tim had been showering her with ?</p><p>                “I need to know if I have to tell the girls at work,” she clarified. “I want them to know if I’m showing. I feel like it’s my duty as a boss to plan ahead and let my employees know what’s coming in the next few months.”</p><p>                “If you’re talking about getting a baby bump, you don’t look pregnant to me,” Tim answered. “You look like the garlic bread went to your hips but –“</p><p>                “Okay !!” she exclaimed. “I don’t need more of your opinion !!”</p><p>                Tim chuckled under his breath at her reaction. Siblings knew eachothers buttons, and sometimes it was fun to push them. After being the most parental figure in their lives, Tim enjoyed the fact that he was able to tease them and joke with them more like an older brother would.</p><p>                “I look in the mirror every morning and wonder if this was a bad idea,” Jane sighed.</p><p>                Maybe this was the wrong time to tease her.</p><p>                “Jane, you look beautiful,” he reassured. “When the baby’s born, they’re going to have a great mom.”</p><p>                “What if . . . I’m not a great mom ?” she asked.</p><p>                “And what if you were ?” he retorted.</p><p>                “But what if I’m not ?”</p><p>                Tim got up from the bed and set his portfolio down where he was sitting. He slung his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug from behind. The size difference was too large for him to put his head on top of hers, but if he could’ve, he would’ve.</p><p>                “Then you’ll . . . figure something out,” he encouraged. “You always do. When you had a rocky start to your business, you figured it out. When you moved out for the first time and couldn’t pay rent on your first apartment, you figured something out. You’re smart, Jane. You’ll figure it out.”</p><p>                She reached for his hands and pulled them down to her stomach, which allowed Tim to feel her stomach, actually <strong><em>feel</em></strong> her stomach, for the first time. She allowed him to feel the little life that grew inside her. Jane couldn’t help but to smile as she felt his heartbeat speed up against the back of her head.</p><p>                “Don’t make this weird.”</p><p>                Tim’s voice seemed to squeak as he answered.</p><p>                “I won’t.”</p><p>                Jane lifted his hands from her stomach, before she squirmed out of the hug. She picked up his portfolio and put it back in his hands. Her hands were against his back as she ushered him out of the bedroom.</p><p>                “Okay, I got to get dressed,” she claimed. “Did you . . . ?”</p><p>                She sniffed the air and smelled blueberry goodness coming from the kitchen.</p><p>                “Make muffins ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, actually, I wanted you to get breakfast in before work,” he explained. “I also made you an orange smoothie. I heard that the vitamin C is good for the baby. Want me to get your prenatals out ?”</p><p>                “That would be amazing,” she answered. “Thanks Tim.”</p><p>                Jane shut the door and went into her closet, and sifted through the dresses she had hung up in the closet. She noticed the sheer lack of color outside of black, grey, and white, but it wasn’t like that bothered her. Once she graduated, she knew she had to dress like an adult, and that meant that there would be no more rainbow striped shirts or waist high jeans. Her sense of style had changed drastically, but there wasn’t anything she found wrong with it. She slid out a svelte, elbow length sleeve, black dress, which would pair nicely with golden hoop earrings, and her chunky, black, velvet heels.</p><p>                After she changed into the outfit she had planned for that day, she went out to the island in her kitchen, where Tim was finishing his blueberry muffin. Jane looked down at the counter to see the smoothie in a portable aluminum cup, her vitamins right next to it, and a muffin. She picked up her vitamins before she put them into her mouth, and used her smoothie to swallow them with ease.</p><p>                “Great smoothie,” she complimented.</p><p>                “I’m planning on looking more recipes up,” he responded. “They have so many recipes for pregnancy smoothies on Pin – It.”</p><p>                “I should’ve known you got this from Pin – It,” she teased.</p><p>                “It’s still good, right ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, it’s still good.”</p><p>                “They have a lot of parenting hacks on there too,” he claimed. “And there’s ideas for nurseries, and baby showers. I saw this one idea for a baby shower game; you put like, little plastic babies in ice cubes, and then let them melt in your drink, and the first person who’s baby thawed out completely wins the game.”</p><p>                “How are we going to have a baby shower in here ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “How many people are you going to invite ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “The girls from work, the Barnabys, Patience,” Jane listed. “And if the girls from work bring their families, they can come too.”</p><p>                “You’re not going to tell Nanny or Melanoff ?” Tim asked. “Have you told them ?”</p><p>                “No !!” Jane exclaimed. “It was . . . we left off on a bad note. I don’t think I should go and see them.”</p><p>                “What happened ?” he asked. “You never really told me what you did.”</p><p>                “I uh . . . told them to piss off because I didn’t need them anymore. Well, I didn’t say ‘piss off’, it was worse than that,” she explained. “I just wanted to get out of there and spread my wings, but I didn’t want to slowly break their hearts, so I just ripped off the bandaid.”</p><p>                “You know they smothered us with affection because they wanted us to know that we’re loved, right ?” Tim asked. “Nanny knows what we went through. She doesn’t want us to feel the way we did when we lived in House Willoughby.”</p><p>                “I don’t want people to smother me with love,” she argued. “I don’t like when people are so attached to me.”</p><p>                Tim squinted at her and leaned closer to her.</p><p>                “You’re scared of disappointing people too,” he stated. “You’re terrified of failure. You know that ?”</p><p>                Jane nudged him away, and she popped the last bit of her muffin in her mouth.</p><p>                “Oh please,” she swallowed. “I’m not you.”</p><p>                “You’re my sister,” Tim insisted.</p><p>                She leaned forward and their noses touched. Jane pulled her glasses up to reveal her death glare.</p><p>                “<strong><em>I’m</em></strong> <strong><em>not</em></strong> <strong><em>you</em></strong>.”</p><p>                Instead of shrinking away like he normally would’ve, Tim leaned in closer, and her towered over his smaller sister. He simply smiled before he grabbed his portfolio off the island behind her.</p><p>                “Have a good day at work, Jane,” he said.</p><p>                As he left to head out the door, Jane shoved his back and still maintained the lethal stare at his smug face.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Screw</em></strong>. <strong><em>You</em></strong>.”</p><p>                He waved goodbye as he grabbed his keys and left.</p><p>                She dropped her death glare and smiled to herself, before she realized she needed to be heading out too. Jane did one last check in the mirror that sat in front of the room Tim was staying in, before she picked up her smoothie, keys, and purse. Within a quick five minutes she was out the door.</p><p>                The ride over to the boutique was slow, and uneventful for someone that drives throughout the Big Apple every single day. Jane didn’t tune into her radio show that she listened to every morning. After the ordeal she had while driving to visit Tim, her attitude towards the radio’s reliability had changed. She didn’t want to hear about birth plans and doulas, making babies and getting lit at parties, marriage and love. She wanted to enjoy the moment, or at least sweep the nagging negative feelings she had towards her baby under the rug.</p><p>                She arrived at the boutique, and she saw that two out of her five staff members were already there. A young, chipper cashier named Clementine, and one of her consultants named Josephine.</p><p>                “I’m sorry I’m late, ladies,” Jane apologized.</p><p>                She got her keys out of her pocket and opened the front door.</p><p>                “It’s fine, Jane,” Clementine accepted. “It was nice to get a breath of fresh morning air while I was waiting.”</p><p>                “Fresh air ? Whatever you say, Clem,” Josephine responded. “Anyways, Willow said she can’t make it in today.”</p><p>                Jane rolled her eyes at the comment as she swung open the doors and turned the bright overhead lights on and flipped the door sign to ‘Open‘. She began to go around and inspect the shop to see if a new dress needed to be put on display, or if the floors needed to be swept, before people decided to flood in.</p><p>                “Again ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “She’s having problems with her mom’s Parkinson’s disease,” Josephine excused. “Don’t be surprised if she puts in her resignation.”</p><p>                “I can’t have people putting in resignations now !!” Jane whined.</p><p>                Jane took a deep breath in before she regained her composure. She couldn’t leave the shop if she was short – staffed. Jane tried to be understanding of Willow’s problems, because she gets that it’s hard to take care of someone that can’t take great care of themselves, but Jane was going to be out of work for a solid two, nearly three months, and maybe then some when the baby was born.</p><p>                “It’s going to be a hard few months if we’re understaffed,” Jane explained. “Has Willow talked about resigning ? I wouldn’t mind opening her position if she goes. I’d rather have someone in as quickly as possible, and if Willow would be able to train them in financial work, that would make it even easier.”</p><p>                “She’s mentioned it in passing,” Josephine explained. “I’m not sure if she’s going to actually do it, but her mom does live up in New Hampshire, and she’s exhausted from having to go up very single weekend to take care of her mom.”</p><p>                “I think you should open up the position anyway,” Clementine piped up. “I mean, I took Financial Literacy in my senior year of high school. You might not even have to go searching so far to find someone to fill the position.”</p><p>                “You’re right,” Jane agreed. “The finance company next door is planning on laying people off, and when it comes to finances, those guys are really experienced !!”</p><p>                “Y – Yeah, they are.”</p><p>                “I’m going to text Willow tonight to see what her plans are,” Jane confirmed. “That’ll help me gage whether or not I need to open her position, and see if she’ll be able to train a new hire before she leaves.”</p><p>                The chime of the door signaled that someone walked into the shop and Jane looked out from the other side of the centerpiece ballgown dress that stood center of the doors.</p><p>                Five women had walked inside the doors of the shop, and Jane saw a few familiar faces among the crowd of women. Three of the women were larger women, one being elderly, the next being middle aged, and the last of which was a little younger than Jane. Then there was a skinny woman that was head to toe in all black attire. Lastly, there was a teenage girl, with dark hair and a pink complexion.</p><p>                “Jane !!” the young, heavyset woman exclaimed.</p><p>                Patience.</p><p>                Jane was more focused on someone else.</p><p>                “Ruth !!”</p><p>                The youngest of the group picked up her head, her eyes tore away from her phone, if only for a moment as she did a double take. It had been nearly three years since they had last seen eachother, or even spoken outside of birthday and Christmas texts.</p><p>                Jane ran forward and caught the teenager in her arms, as she squeezed her into the largest hug she had ever given anyone. That was saying a lot, because Jane hadn’t hugged more than maybe two people in the past seven years. One of which was Tim, when she told him about being pregnant nearly two months ago.</p><p>                “A. told me that you said it was okay if we looked here for a dress,” Patience said. “I wanted to look at your place first, because y’know, you’re gonna be my sister within the next few months.”</p><p>                Jane picked Ruth up, which allowed them to continue their leechy hug as they began to walk towards the back, where the fitting rooms were.</p><p>                “It was totally fine if you just wanted to show up,” Jane confirmed. “I would’ve accepted you regardless.”</p><p>                Jane finally made it into the back, a wave of fatigue began to sit on her shoulders like bricks as she began to tear Ruth off of her.</p><p>                The younger sister still clung to Jane for dear life, though her legs were now on the floor instead of wrapped around Jane’s hips.</p><p>                “So who have you brought with you today ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Well, I have my momma, my grandmomma, your sister,” Patience listed. “And this lovely lady right here is my best friend, Sabrina.”</p><p>                She motioned to the gothic sore thumb of the group that consisted of bright southern women and the familiar faces Jane had known. Sabrina had to be the maid of honor, but the math immediately didn’t add up in her head. Ruth and Sabrina make two bridesmaids. Maybe her mom was going to be a bridesmaid too. Jane had seen that becoming a trend among engaged couples.</p><p>                “So, what are we looking for today ?” Jane asked the wedding party.</p><p>                “Well, I was thinkin’ a ballgown,” Patience responded. “I want to look like a princess bride on my weddin’ day. I’ve always dreamed of havin’ a big ol’ skirt that would just flow all around me, and have some glitz to keep the attention on me.”</p><p>                “I want her to try out a mermaid dress,” her mom interjected. “Somethin’ that has a little bit of glitz, and hugs her body alright. Patience has some beautiful curves.”</p><p>                “I’m scared somethin’ might pop out while she’s dancin’,” her grandma expressed. “Somethin’ with sleeves.”</p><p>                “I don’t want super long sleeves though,” Patience added. “The weddin’ is in April. It might be startin’ to warm up, and I don’t want to sweat like a greased hog all night.”</p><p>                The main ballgown. Jane’s dress.</p><p>                Patience better not have the money, because Jane wanted to hold onto that dress and not let go of it. That was her ballgown, even if it had all the things Patience wanted. Jane betted, prayed, that the price tag would be high enough to scare her away from it.</p><p>                “So, how about we go looking for some dresses that we want her to try on ?” Jane recommended. “Ruth, do you want to come and look with me ?”</p><p>                The party split up, so they could all look for dresses. Patience and Sabrina drifted towards the ballgown section, her mom and grandma instantly went to the mermaids and trumpets, and Jane allowed Ruth to take her to the empire dresses.</p><p>                “You haven’t come over in three years,” Ruth said. “Mom and dad miss you.”</p><p>                Ruth pulled out a dress that had a bunch of pleats along the skirt, but the silhouette wouldn’t flatter Patience’s curves. If anything, it would make her look like a walking refrigerator box, and Jane knew that wasn’t what she was looking for. If she tried that dress on, it would make her feel even worse about her figure.</p><p>                “They haven’t called me,” Jane bluntly stated. “It has been three years and they haven’t even picked up the phone to try.”</p><p>                “They know you like your space,” Ruth justified. “They don’t want you to be even more mad at them for prying into your business.”</p><p>                Jane went quiet for a moment, before she began to mindlessly look at the empires herself. Her eyes were off in a thousand yard stare as she looked at the fabric of the dresses. An old word came back to her head.</p><p>                Taffeta.</p><p>                Maybe, she could get a taffeta ballgown, with a beaded edge cathedral veil, and diamond belt. The accessories would add the little bit of glamor that they were looking for, and the dress wouldn’t be completely outrageous, with a ridiculous price tag.</p><p>                “I have an idea,” Jane responded.</p><p>                “I’ve missed you,” Ruth snapped.</p><p>                Ruth pulled Jane back by her arm, away from the crowd outside. Jane was met with Ruth’s face, who, while she was trying to look mad at her older sister, was hurt by the shine in her eyes.</p><p>                “I like having you around, Jane,” Ruth argued. “You left us.”</p><p>                “It wasn’t like I left you guys on purpose,” Jane excused.</p><p>                “You yelled at mom and dad for a solid hour,” Ruth continued. “And then you left out the door, so you could run a business and isolate yourself with your dumb ex – boyfriend.”</p><p>                Jane felt rage beginning to churn in her stomach, or it was morning sickness, but she indeed felt angry at the comment. She wanted to be angry at Ruth, but her sister was pointing out solid points. Maybe Jane was just angry with herself; angry that her plans didn’t work out, angry that she was in this predicament. Then another thought hit her.</p><p>                “How did you know that Troy and I aren’t together ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Tim said he was living with you for a little bit,” Ruth replied. “And there would be no way that Troy would want Tim in the same house as him.”</p><p>                “But, you could let Tim live with you, and mom and dad aren’t even allowed near the apartment,” Ruth commented. “It’s not fair.”</p><p>                “I never said they weren’t allowed over,” Jane claimed. “Just that I don’t really want them around.”</p><p>                “That basically means that you won’t let them to come over,” Ruth insisted. “It hurts their feelings. It really hurts mom’s feelings.”</p><p>                “I don’t know what to tell you, Ruth,” Jane sighed. “It’s not really a great time to open up that stupid Pandora’s box.”</p><p>                “Right, we have to get Patience a wedding dress,” Ruth agreed. “But, you really should talk to mom soon. She’d like to hear from you.”</p><p>                “Maybe I might,” Jane lied.</p><p>                She wasn’t going to call or text Nanny or Melanoff, especially now with the baby. The doctor said her blood pressure was a little too high, and she shouldn’t have high blood pressure at this time. It’s not good for the baby, and it could really put them in situations that could her pregnancy at risk.</p><p>                “Follow me,” Jane instructed.</p><p>                She lead Ruth to the ballgown section, and picked out a taffeta ballgown, that had a sweetheart neckline, and off the shoulder, elbow length sleeves.</p><p>                “I have a great idea,” Jane said aloud.</p><p>                Ruth followed Jane into the back, where Patience’s best friend, mom, and grandma were sitting. Ruth made her place in between Patience’s mom, and grandma, before Josephine came from the back.</p><p>                “She’s in room three,” Josephine informed.</p><p>                Josephine left Patience’s wedding party to Jane as she went to go and help another bride that had come in to pick up a dress she had on layaway.</p><p>                Jane went to the dressing room that Josephine told her Patience was in, and saw the dress that her family had picked, as well as the one that Patience and Sabrina had picked. Jane hung up her choice on the rack before she turned to Patience, who was clad in the dressing robe provided by Jane’s boutique.</p><p>                “So, who’s dress do we want to show off first ?” Jane asked. “Want to give your mom her moment, and see if you like her dress pick ?”</p><p>                “That’s not a bad idea,” Patience agreed. “But, uh, Jane ?”</p><p>                Jane turned to look at Patience, as she took the beaded, sleeveless mermaid off the rack. She tilted her head as she unbagged the dress pick that she was going to fit Patience into.</p><p>                “I was wonderin’ . . . well, I wanted to inquire about that there dress up in the middle of the store,” Patience commented. “I know the price tag’s hefty, but I just wanted to try it, and see if I looked good in it.”</p><p>                A pang of protectiveness swept over Jane’s system. She couldn’t have her dress !! For a second, she grounded herself. It wouldn’t hurt to let her try it on. It wasn’t like Patience had the money in her pockets . . . right ? She had a huge wedding to plan, and if she and A. were going to have over five hundred people at the wedding, she would need to save all that money.</p><p>                “I’ll let Josephine know, so she can take it down and bring it back,” Jane agreed. “But first, let’s slide you into this one.”</p><p>                Jane unrolled the dress and helped Patience step into it. Jane slid it up Patience’s torso and pulled the spaghetti straps up onto her shoulders before she allowed for Patience to turn and look in the mirror after Jane had zipped her into the dress.</p><p>                “These straps are really diggin’ a number into my shoulders,” Patience commented. “But, I’ll let my momma have her moment.”</p><p>                “This dress is a definite ‘no’ then ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Absolutely not.”</p><p>                Jane opened the door and allowed her to go out and show her family, before she passed Josephine in the hallway. Jane grabbed Josephine’s shoulder and pulled her aside for a quick second.</p><p>                “Hey Jo,” she whispered. “Can you and Clementine get the ballgown off the mannequin and bring it to room three ?”</p><p>                “Are you sure ?” Josephine asked.</p><p>                “What’s the worst that can happen ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                Patience could buy her dress, and then the pinnacle of the store would be gone. She would have to find a new dress, for a new centerpiece. No dress would ever come close to Jane’s ballgown. There was no other dress out there like it.</p><p>                Jane rushed out to introduce the dress Patience was currently wearing. She had to catch her breath for a minute before she regained her composure.</p><p>                “Patience is wearing . . . mom’s pick, which is a . . . beaded, sweetheart neckline, satin mermaid . . . with a cinched waist,” Jane panted. “Anyways, what do you all think ?”</p><p>                “Your chest is about to pop out of it !!” Ruth exclaimed.</p><p>                “One wrong move and everyone would get a free show on your weddin’ day,” her grandma commented. “I agree with the little one.”</p><p>                “It looks like a pageant dress more than a wedding dress,” her friend finally spoke up. “You wanted to stay away from the pageant look on your wedding day, right ?”</p><p>                “So, most of y’all hate it too ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                Her mother let off a sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose.</p><p>                “I was told, when I was dress shoppin’, that if the dress doesn’t make you cry, it’s not your dress,” her mom advised. “And I don’t even see a tear in your eye. Is this dress speakin’ to you, Patience ?”</p><p>                “It’s tellin’ me to take it off,” Patience joked. “Maybe the one Sabrina and I got might make me feel somethin’.”</p><p>                “So, do we want to change into your pick, Patience ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, I think we oughtta,” Patience said. “Before I snap these straps in half.”</p><p>                The two women went back to the fitting room, where Jane helped Patience out of the sausage case mermaid dress. The dress had left pink imprints in Patience’s peachy skin, as if she had to squeeze all of her fluff into a case that wasn’t made for her. Jane would agree with that statement. That mermaid wasn’t made for girls like Patience.</p><p>                Jane put the mermaid back on its hanger, before she slid it to the very end, and replaced the hanger of the mermaid with the tulle skirted, bedazzled ballgown. She unhooked the looser halter straps off the hanger, before she slipped the dress over Patience’s head. Jane helped Patience readjust in the dress, to where she comfortably fit in it.</p><p>                “I’m not a huge fan of the skirt,” Patience commented. “But this is more of the look I’m tryin’ to get. We’ll see if my momma and grandmomma like it.”</p><p>                Another round of a view proceeded, and Patience stepped onto the small platform runway to show the dress to her party, who all clapped at the dress in response. Patience still wasn’t crying, which caused the claps to stop and for her to have the floor to speak.</p><p>                “I’m not a fan of the way it makes my hips look,” she explained. “It makes me feel like I look like a double wide.”</p><p>                “I think it looks so pretty on you, Patience,” her mom cooed. “I think we should get this one, it looks beautiful. You look like a bride in it.”</p><p>                “It’s not your dress,” her grandma scolded. “She says she feels like a doublewide, and the amount of cake she’s gonna eat that night might turn her into a triple wide.”</p><p>                “Grandmomma !!” Patience exclaimed.</p><p>                “I’m just tellin’ the truth !!”</p><p>                “But you can tell that you don’t like it,” Sabrina added. “Maybe the last dress might be the one for you.”</p><p>                “Yeah, let’s go and try on the last dress,” Jane recommended. “We still have plenty to choose from.”</p><p>                She led Patience into the back, and Josephine exited the dressing room Patience was using. Jane’s dress was in there, but Jane was confident that there was no way Patience was going to leave the shop with a fifteen – thousand dollar dress in tow. Besides, she needed enough finances to buy the rest of her outfit; a veil, shoes, jewelry, and even makeup for the big day.</p><p>                It was like a wedding pinata had exploded in the average sized dressing room, due to the skirt taking up half the floor. Jane’s heart fluttered at the sight. It was a beautiful dress both on and off the mannequin.</p><p>                “That is the most beautiful skirt I have ever seen !!” Patience exclaimed.</p><p>                “I know,” Jane agreed. “This is my favorite dress in the shop. I totally thought I’d be the one wearing it some day.”</p><p>                Patience’s excitement seemed to lull at the comment. Her hand touched Jane’s shoulder and when Jane looked at her, her face was glazed over in sympathy, and maybe shades of sadness.</p><p>                “Are you sure that it’s okay if I try it on ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, you’re allowed to take any dress you can afford from the store,” Jane lied. “It’s a store.”</p><p>                Patience took a deep breath in, before she squealed all the air out and began to slide herself out of her current dress.</p><p>                Jane took the dress Patience was currently wearing and put it back on the hanger. She slid the small, off the shoulder sleeves off the hooks before she unrolled the dress and allowed Patience to step into it. Jane used clamps on the back, considering that the dress was a little bit smaller than Patience was. Maybe Patience would take it as a sign that this dress wasn’t hers . . . unless she was already willing to take it in to get altered.</p><p>                Patience adjusted her legs in the skirt before she turned around and instantly covered her mouth. Her hands pulled away to reveal her jaw had dropped, and it seemed as if fat beads of tears were welling in her eyes.</p><p>                “N – No wonder you love this dress so much,” Patience whispered. “This is . . .”</p><p>                “Great ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “It’s just so . . . expensive . . .” Patience claimed. “I – I still want to show my family. But this is exactly what I was looking for. I feel like a princess !!”</p><p>                Jane nodded and opened the door. She allowed Patience to exit the room and followed close behind her. Jane felt sweat beginning to build as she stood and allowed Patience to show it off to her family.</p><p>                “Patience is wearing a fitted ballgown, with a beaded bodice, and off the shoulder straps –“</p><p>                “Patience, honey, you’re cryin’,” her mom interrupted. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>                “Does this dress make you feel like a cupcake ?” her grandma asked.</p><p>                “Is this . . . the dress ?” Ruth asked.</p><p>                “If you’re crying, this is the one,” Sabrina added. “Unless it makes you upset.”</p><p>                “It’s . . .” Patience shivered. “Fifteen – thousand dollars.”</p><p>                “What’s the problem with that ?” her grandma asked.</p><p>                “It’s expensive, grandmomma,” Patience sighed. “I love this dress, but y’all can’t spend that much on it. Y’all can’t spend that much on me.”</p><p>                “Of course we can !!” her mom exclaimed.</p><p>                Chills immediately shot through Jane’s body. Her fingers felt like they were buzzing. Her face probably flushed at those words.</p><p>                No.</p><p>                “You don’t need to worry about a price tag, darlin’,” her grandma reassured. “We’ll figure out how to get you the dress if this is the one.”</p><p>                No.</p><p>                “A – Are you serious ?” Patience asked. “But, fifteen thousand ?”</p><p>                “I promise, we’ll do what it takes,” her mom soothed. “Do you want the dress ?”</p><p>                No.</p><p>                Patience took a breath in and steadied herself . She lifted the skirt and turned around, with the most hopeful, teeth beaming smile on her lips.</p><p>                “Jane. I’d like to buy the dress.”</p><p>                <strong><em><span class="u">No.</span></em></strong></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Anthrodynia / Crashing Down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖 :</p><p>𝔸𝕟𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕕𝕪𝕟𝕚𝕒 / ℂ𝕣𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔻𝕠𝕨𝕟</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                Tim had already laid out the grease – soaked bags from Ham Bros. on the coffee table when Jane came back home. He had great news for her; Melanoff gave him the thumbs up to his new idea, and he had a small team to help with the coding and animation ideas from both large branches of the factory on each coast. He had a lot of duties over the next few months, and he would have to work a little late for awhile, but the fact that he was able to provide a great idea was spectacular and had him in an amazing mood.</p><p>                The front door shut and Tim looked up from the fast food bag.</p><p>                “Honey, I’m guessing you’re home ?” he joked.</p><p>                “Tim, I’m not in the mood,” she answered.</p><p>                Jane slid her keys on the island counter and plopped her purse down right next to them. She walked over to the bags of hamburgers, French fries, and onion rings, before she pulled away from the bag. Her face scrunched up and she shook her head.</p><p>                “Mmph, onion rings ?” she asked.</p><p>                “What’s wrong with onion rings ?” he asked.</p><p>                “They stink,” she sighed. “Oh my god . . .”</p><p>                She seemed to gag before she ended up swallowing . . . hard. Jane stood and took the bag that contained the accursed smell to the dining room table, as she shook her head and covered her nose.</p><p>                “Oh jeez, are you going to throw up ?” he asked. “Hang on, I got this.”</p><p>                He took out the little bag full of greasy onion rings and proceeded to throw them in the trashcan. Tim walked back over to Jane and slid out her chair so she was able to sit down.</p><p>                She took off her heels and kicked them both under the table as she rubbed her temples and groaned quietly.</p><p>                “So, what happened with you today ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Nothing,” she claimed. “It’s dumb.”</p><p>                “It might be dumb, but I’ll still listen,” he soothed. “It wouldn’t be the first stupid thing I’ve heard today.”</p><p>                “What happened with you ?” she asked.</p><p>                “I asked you first,” Tim denied.</p><p>                “And you’re living in my house,” she claimed. “What happened with you ?”</p><p>                Tim shook his head and pulled out a hamburger from the white bag. He peeled back the white paper before taking a bite of his burger.</p><p>                “So, I had to go to a meeting with Melanoff and every department in attendance, so we could discuss the risks associated with designing a product like the eggs,” Tim explained. “For the most part, everyone liked the idea, but Rick from marketing said ‘Hasn’t that been done before ?’, before pointing out that there’s something like that in Sveetzerlund.”</p><p>                Jane pulled out a small bag of waffle fries and popped one in her mouth. She nodded and allowed him to continue on his rant.</p><p>                “Then he said that Mattina Corp., one of the companies in Europe, could easily form a lawsuit against us for making these eggs,” Tim continued. “So, then I had to explain that these eggs would have an app involved with the development, and Mattina Corp.’s eggs, only come with a small toy.”</p><p>                “Did you even get to finish your pitch ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Yeah,” Tim confirmed. “But that Rick guy is a total poindexter.”</p><p>                Jane managed to laugh at the insult. She could’ve thought of many other, far more rude insults to call that guy. She could thing of so many words for Rick from marketing, Patience buying the dress from her store, Ruth misunderstanding what’s going on with Jane and the family, one of her employees possibly quitting months before her delivery – so many things were building up, and Jane wished she could berate them all until they went away. That wasn’t how it all worked, sadly.</p><p>                “But, in better news, Melanoff loved the idea, and we’re going through with the project,” Tim said. “I’m just going to have to work nearly all ends of the day to get some of the stuff done.”</p><p>                “Won’t that get exhausting ?” she asked. “Are you going to take breaks ? You’re not the only one working on it, are you ?”</p><p>                “I have a small team, but I still have to go through the legal paperwork to launch a new candy,” he claimed. “That includes getting the go ahead for test runs, taste tests, launch, and all that stuff.”</p><p>                “Doesn’t it hurt, having to be slumped over and doing paperwork all day ?” she asked.</p><p>                “I have a standing desk, and a balance pad,” he explained. “It helps me stay awake throughout the whole day, and my legs really hurt if I’m stuck at a desk all day.”</p><p>                “Considering you’re built like a skinny sequoia, I could only imagine how bad sitting all day must be,” Jane commented. “I’m nowhere near as tall as you, and standing all day really gets to me.”</p><p>                “You’re in those giant high heels most of the day,” Tim pointed out. “I think it’s your body’s way of saying that the heels are stripping your comfort.”</p><p>                “They’re not meant to be comfortable, Tim,” Jane argued. “They make me look good.”</p><p>                “You look good without them,” he claimed. “But, if you want to torture yourself all day, that’s on you.”</p><p>                “Whatever.”</p><p>                “So, what happened to you ?”</p><p>                “It’s stupid, nevermind.”</p><p>                Tim scoffed and pushed her shoulder. He stood up and stpod right in front of her, with his hands on his hips, as if he were a suburban mom about to scold Jane for not having her cleats in the minivan. He leaned down, and hovered above her.</p><p>                “You can’t get my story out of me and then not tell me yours,” he argued. “I don’t care how dumb you think it is. It obviously matters to you, or else you wouldn’t be this pouty about it.”</p><p>                “It’s really dumb,” she repeated.</p><p>                Jane finally sighed and put down the bag of waffle fries.</p><p>                “I had to sell the ballgown,” she muttered. “But it’s dumb.”</p><p>                “The one in the window ?” Tim asked. “But you really liked that one.”</p><p>                “I mean, yeah, I really liked it, but . . .” Jane stopped herself. “What’s the point in keeping it if I’m not even in a relationship anymore. It was the dress I wanted to wear if Troy and I got married, like that was going to ever happen.”</p><p>                “You had dreams at one point too, you know,” Tim reminded. “When we were kids, you had the biggest dreams out of all of us. Sometimes things don’t work out. Trust me, I know that better than anyone.”</p><p>                He got down on his knees and put his hands on her shoulders.</p><p>                “I thought I was going to grow old with Queen, I had dreams stretching all the way until we were dying,” Tim soothed. “Sometimes life throws us a curveball, but we have to catch it.”</p><p>                “That sounds like a fortune cookie fortune,” Jane claimed. “Did you get that from one of those signs ?”</p><p>                “Does it matter ?” he asked.</p><p>                He let off an unmasculine squeak as her arms pulled him into a hug. Tim had probably gotten more hugs from Jane in the past few weeks than anybody else in the past few months. It was okay . . . it was great actually. The hugs he got were ones he wanted to melt into, and become one syurpy puddle in her arms. He wanted to hug her forever, as if every hug he had gotten were the last. Maybe it was because he hadn’t hugged Jane this much since he had left for college, or the fact he knew these hugs were rare, but he loved them.</p><p>                He was there for her.</p><p>                Tim allowed her to hug him as long as she wanted, even if it was over a dumb dress. It wasn’t like he didn’t need the hug either.</p><p>                Jane pulled back and cupped his cheeks before she rustled his hair. She smiled at him for a moment.</p><p>                “I’m proud of you,” she claimed. “Rick from marketing is a prick.”</p><p>                “Yeah,” Tim agreed. “He is.”</p><p>                “Let’s go and watch a movie,” Jane proposed. “I think we both need a night to just kick back and relax.”</p><p>                Tim nodded and helped her off the chair. Once she was headed to the living room, he grabbed the bag of Ham Bros. so they could finish their meal in the living room.</p><p>                Jane kneeled in front of the entertainment center and opened the drawer that contained her movies.</p><p>                “’Drive By Three : Ham Bros. Hustle’ ?”</p><p>                “Seen it.”</p><p>                “’Warp Stream Shower’ ?”</p><p>                “I’ve never liked those time machine movies. Someone always messes up the space time continuum, because they accidentally stop their parents for meeting, or decide to talk to their future self.”</p><p>                “You’re impossible !!”</p><p>                Tim shrugged at the comment and leaned forward to get his bag of waffle fries.</p><p>                “Creative Writing ruined me, I always notice the little clichés in movies,” he justified. “I can only watch so many, ‘Martin, you shouldn’t have made your dad fall in love with Lucy !!’ scenes before I’m over it.”</p><p>                “Okay,” Jane sighed. “What about ‘Slaughterhouse Six : The Dead Butcher Returns’ ?”</p><p>                “He returns in all of them,” Tim pointed out. “And should we be listening to bloody violence in front of the baby ? Doesn’t stuff like that make them grow up to be a serial killer ?”</p><p>                “Don’t say you heard that from Pin – It . . .” Jane groaned.</p><p>                “I didn’t !!” Tim defended. “I heard it from TubeyFeed.”</p><p>                “TubeyFeed is also the same website that you can take a quiz to find out which Melanoff candy you are,” Jane reminded.</p><p>                “They did an interview with mom of the guy The Dead Butcher is based on !!” Tim exclaimed. “She said he used to watch all the scary movies when he was a kid, and it led him to do . . . <strong><em>that</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “Is there any other reliable stories that relate a serial killer to scary movies ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Shut up,” he argued.</p><p>                “That’s what I thought,” she stated. “So, what would you pick ?”</p><p>                “What about ‘Mixed Up’ ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “That one sappy rom – com you and Nanny used to watch ?” Jane asked. “I’d rather watch ‘Bachelorette In Paradise’.”</p><p>                “They’re having a marathon in five minutes,” Tim claimed. “I saw it on my Pictogram feed at lunch.”</p><p>                “You’re following ‘Bachelorette In Paradise’ on Pictogram ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Queen liked to watch it too !!” he exclaimed. “I normally tried to keep up with the news, so I could remind her. She had that busy schedule and she forgot sometimes.”</p><p>                “Suuure,” Jane teased. “But whatever. ‘Bachelorette In Paradise’ it is.”</p><p>                Jane grabbed the T.V remote and turned on both the cable box and television. She scrolled through the channels, before she found the channel that ‘Bachelorette In Paradise’ was about to start on. The channel was currently playing ‘Keeping It Real : Texas Housewifes’.</p><p>                Tim scoffed at the screen as Jane sat on the couch next to him.</p><p>                “I’ve always hated this show,” he claimed. “I’m so tired of listening to Brandi Buchanan talk smack about all the other housewives behind their backs, even though she tries to act like everyone’s best friend.”</p><p>                “I can’t believe that they can’t see through her back handed compliments,” Jane agreed. “Like come on, when she says that your tailgating dress looks too tight on a pretty thing like you, she means that you’re a fat cow.”</p><p>                “Patience told you that, didn’t she ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Patience is the queen of deciphering cowgirl trash talk,” Jane claimed. “Apparently, being as nutty as a fruitcake means that you’re out your mind.”</p><p>                “Fruitcake doesn’t have nuts, that’s why it’s a fruitcake,” Tim disagreed. “That doesn’t make sense.”</p><p>                “Well, apparently she didn’t get what ‘taking it there’ meant either,” Jane claimed. “And that’s how she got into her first bar fight.”</p><p>                “Wasn’t that at a wine bar ?” he asked.</p><p>                “You’ve gotten into fights at wine bars,” Jane reminded.</p><p>                “And that’s why I don’t go to them anymore,” Tim explained.</p><p>                “I can think of another reason you don’t go anymore,” Jane stated.</p><p>                “Don’t take it there,” Tim warned.</p><p>                “Okay, okay,” Jane soothed. “I won’t.”</p><p>                The romantic tone of a violin came out of the speakers as rose petals rained down the screen.</p><p>                “On this season of ‘Bachelorette In Paradise’, we meet Candace Wentworth, a young bachelorette model from Tampa, Florida, as she meets twenty – five men, in hopes of finding her true love . . .”</p><p>                Jane instantly booed the television as clips from future episodes played over the screen and this caused Tim to laugh and even boo alongside his sister.</p><p>                “Doesn’t she get rid of that guy in a snail suit the first elimination ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Yeah,” Jane confirmed. “And he was the most creative one. Who would show up to a season of ‘Bachelorette In Paradise’ while wearing a snail suit ? It takes a lot of guts.”</p><p>                “You wouldn’t accept a guy in a snail suit, would you ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “No,” Jane confirmed. “But he would definitely get rid of that Cooper Tinnerfield. I don’t know what’s wrong with that guy’s teeth, but it’s like he always has food in them.”</p><p>                “I think he always has food in them,” Tim agreed. “Like, this man is twenty – eight and he still gets chicken parmesan stuck in between his teeth.”</p><p>                “Troy used to do that all the time, it was so embarrassing,” Jane said. “And everytime I tried to give him one of those little toothbrushes or toothpicks, he’d get mad at me and then say that I was trying to act like his mom.”</p><p>                Tim cringed at the thought of Troy with food in between his teeth.</p><p>                “I bet the kisses were always bad,” Tim teased. “I have to gargle my mouth with mouthwash after I get done eating; if I burp and taste what I just ate, it’s so gross. If it’s gross to me, it’s gross to other people.”</p><p>                “If I can smell my breath, so can others,” Jane claimed. “Troy didn’t care, he would walk around with a steaming cloud of garlicy fog after a date at Tasty Tortellini’s.”</p><p>                Tim gagged at the sound of that, well, more at the smell of that. Garlic was so smelly, and so powerful, it was hard to believe that people didn’t care if they smelled like it.</p><p>                “See, you get it,” Jane agreed. “And then he’d try to kiss me and stuff, and get mad when I said that his breath stunk.”</p><p>                “What a loser,” Tim said. “But not as big of a loser as this guy.”</p><p>                The guy in the snail suit got out of the limousine to meet Candace Wentworth, he got down on one knee and put his arms up to her.</p><p>                “I’m not scared to take it slow, Candace,” he declared.</p><p>                Neither Willoughby sibling was able to manage a straight face at the little joke. It was so dumb, and silly enough that it could crack smiles on the most serious people, or maybe the reason was downright schadenfreude, because no person would want to be in that situation. He was in a <strong><em>snail</em></strong> suit, and a model was <strong><em>cringing</em></strong> at him. Imagine that a model thought you were weird, on national <strong><em>television</em></strong> !!</p><p>                “I forgot how cheesy that pickup line was !!” Jane laughed.</p><p>                “See, I told you !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>                “Did you ever use any lame pickup lines ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Well, one time when I took Queen on a date to the roller rink, she wore these galaxy printed leggings and a t – shirt that had a cat shooting lasers out of his eyes,” Tim started.</p><p>                “Did she take fashion tips from B. ?” she teased.</p><p>                “I think B. actually owns the same exact shirt,” Tim reflected. “Anyway, she had on these galaxy printed leggings, and it was like our third date. She hadn’t even kissed me yet, and she pushed my hand away when we went to see ‘Drive By Two : Manhattan Ice’, so I decided to try and mix up the nice guy thing I was doing.”</p><p>                “So, you decided to stop being yourself to impress a girl ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “I mean, you did the same thing when you met Troy . . .” Tim reminded.</p><p>                “We’re talking about you, not me,” Jane deflected.</p><p>                “Then can you let me finish the story ?” he asked.</p><p>                She groaned at the notion of not providing commentary to Tim’s story, but she nodded in compliance, before she leaned closer towards him.</p><p>                “So, she went to get some of their chili cheese fries from the concession stand for the both of us,” he continued. “I thought to myself, ‘What would be a good, cheesy pickup line to use that would make her laugh ?’, because girls like funny guys, right ?”</p><p>                Jane nodded.</p><p>                “She came back over with the two baskets of chili cheese fries, and put mine in front of me and I said . . .” He stopped and laughed to himself. “Nice space pants, they make your ass look out of this world.”</p><p>                Jane shrieked and squealed at the statement, before she toppled against Tim’s torso and beat her hand against his chest in laughter. She wiped a tear off her red tinted cheek, and allowed her glasses to press against her face.</p><p>                “Tim !!” she squealed. “I can’t believe you said that to her !!”</p><p>                “I can’t either, if I’m being honest,” he agreed. “She didn’t like it very much. She scoffed and asked what was wrong with me before I panicked and attempted to take it all back.”</p><p>                “She could not take a joke,” Jane pointed out. “Tell the angry, feministic, stuck – up anything and they’re sure to take it as serious as possible, before grilling you about what makes jokes so funny.”</p><p>                “What’s the worst pickup line you’ve ever been told ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “It was the summer, and it was hot,” Jane started.</p><p>                She laid back against Tim’s torso and stretched out to lay comfortably on the couch, in between Tim’s legs, with her head under his neck. She raised her hands in the air as if she had set the scene of this story in front of them.</p><p>                “I wanted to get something cold to eat, and my favorite ice cream place is Kustard Kones, because they do those brownie cookie ice cream sandwiches,” she continued. “But they’re all the way across town, and Troy hadn’t come back with the car in about a week.”</p><p>                “I would’ve came and got you !!” Tim interrupted.</p><p>                “Well, it’s besides the point now,” Jane reasoned. “Anyway, so that meant I had to use the subway. I didn’t realize how gross the subway tunnel outside the apartments was, because these are good apartments, so I thought they would be kind of decent. The first thing I saw was a guy in a tuxedo t – shirt and cutoffs, <strong><em>peeing</em></strong> on the <strong><em>wall</em></strong>, in front of <strong><em>everyone</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “Yeah, there are people out there that do that,” Tim agreed. “It doesn’t matter where you go, people will pee on the walls, regardless of who’s watching.”</p><p>                “I could never do that,” Jane cringed. “I have too much dignity to even fathom doing that.”</p><p>                “Well, when you’re drunk, your dignity goes out the window,” Tim explained. “Trust me.”</p><p>                “Ew,” Jane groaned.</p><p>                “So, what were you saying ?” he asked.</p><p>                Jane shook her head and readjusted in her position, before she laid out the scene in front of herself once again, even though Tim couldn’t see the mini – movie memory of the event.</p><p>                “So, I paid to get on the subway, and the people on it were way sketchier than usual,” she said. “There were guys eying me like I was a rotting carcass in the Savannah fields and they were hyenas that hadn’t eaten in days.”</p><p>                “Hearing this makes me uncomfortable,” he hesitated. “What if something were to have happened to you ?”</p><p>                “Nothing happened, Tim,” she said. “I’m fine.”</p><p>                “But what if something did ?” he asked.</p><p>                “You told me not to interrupt your story, so why are you interrupting mine ?” she asked.</p><p>                “I get worried about you –“ he started.</p><p>                “But, I’m <strong><em>fine</em></strong>,” she retorted. “<strong><em>Nothing</em></strong> <strong><em>happens</em></strong> in this story.”</p><p>                “If you insist . . .” he sighed. “But if something ever <strong><em>does</em></strong> happen –“</p><p>                “<strong><em>Tim</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “Fine . . .”</p><p>                “I’m in the subway, and all these guys are eying me like a slab of meat,” she repeated. “For the most part nobody bothers me, besides getting a few whistles and stuff as they walk by.”</p><p>                She felt Tim’s heart pounding against the back of her head, and she grabbed his hand and squeezed it to reassure him that she, in that moment, was currently fine. Nothing bad happened to her, and nothing bad will in the next few sentences.</p><p>                “And then I get off the subways and the last thing I hear is this one guy that smelled like regret and cheap whiskey shout, ‘You better be going to Big Top’s Chicken with legs like that, sweetheart !!’,” she finished. “It was just so skeezy.”</p><p>                “What kind of man would say that ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “I don’t know, space ranger, you tell me,” she teased.</p><p>                “Pickup lines are awful,” he claimed. “I can’t believe that I thought any of them were remotely okay.”</p><p>                “You’re being too hard on yourself,” Jane soothed. “Some of them are fun.”</p><p>                “But, they make girls feel uncomfortable,” he said. “I don’t like that guys say that to you, and I wasn’t any better than that guy on the subway.”</p><p>                “Yeah, you are,” Jane defended. “You were a dumb kid in highschool that was trying to impress a girl, and that guy was a thirty something year old washout just looking for some easy service, that I wasn’t going to give him. I wouldn’t touch that guy with a ten foot pole, but I’m here with you.”</p><p>                “I guess you’re right,” he sighed.</p><p>                “The thing is, you learned from it,” Jane explained. “You didn’t go running around, still being some scummy creep after a girl showed disinterest in the pickup line, and at a month after being a single guy, you could’ve easily started doing that to random girls on the street.”</p><p>                “Yeah ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Yeah.” She agreed.</p><p>                “Thanks, Jane,” he said. “I needed that.”</p><p>                “You’re my brother, and I care about you,” she reassured. “I don’t want you to feel so dumpy all the time. I want to try and help you get back on your toes.”</p><p>                “This helps,” he said.</p><p>                “Advice ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Everything,” he claimed. “Everything in general.”</p><p>                “I’m here for you,” she reassured. “I like having you around, and I wouldn’t want you going anywhere, any time soon.”</p><p>                “Not even into my own apartment ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Well, there are exceptions,” she chided. “It’d be nice to have room for the baby.”</p><p>                “It’d be nice to have a backyard for the baby, and a big kitchen to teach the baby how to cook in,” he fantasized. “Imagine having a swingset and a slide in the backyard, and a big plot of grass to put a Splash and Slide in. Think about having a porch to host barbeques at !!”</p><p>                “That sounds like something <strong><em>you</em></strong> want,” Jane claimed.</p><p>                “You’d love it !!” Tim insisted. “You’d forget about how great the city was within a week of living in a house.”</p><p>                “I’m not sure I would,” she shot down. “The lights feel like home, and I can’t just kiss the sound of honking cars goodbye so easily. The city is where I feel the most comfortable in, it’s like a big friend of mine.” </p><p>                “What about school districts for the baby to make friends in ?” he asked. “The nearest school is thirty minutes away, and that means you’ll have to get up even earlier to get the baby to school and be able to get to work in time.”</p><p>                “Then so be it,” Jane said. “It’s not that big of a change.”</p><p>                “Okay, what if the baby wants their friends over ?” Tim asked. “The room I’m staying in is little, and it wouldn’t have nearly enough room for a toybox, or a dollhouse, or a racecar track, much less like two other kids.”</p><p>                “We could always go to the park down the street,” Jane excused. “It would be nice to have a reason to get out of the house more often.”</p><p>                “But, with a house, you could have a yard,” Tim clarified. “Then you don’t have to walk all the way down the street to let the baby play.”</p><p>                “Why do you care so much about our living situation ?” she asked.</p><p>                “I don’t want you to raise a baby in a cramped apartment,” he reasoned. “I spent most of our childhood stuck in a coal bin, but this baby doesn’t have to feel like they’re confined to a little apartment. They could have a safe space where they can grow and play, a house to make good memories in.”</p><p>                “What memories could they make in a house that they can’t here ?” she reasoned.</p><p>                “You can’t paint on the walls here,” he claimed. “The baby might want a pink, or blue, or maybe even a green room, and you can’t give that to them without getting an eviction notice.”</p><p>                “Okay, there’s one little thing,” Jane agreed. “But I want more than just one measly thing.”</p><p>                “If the baby wants a pet, you can’t get one, especially a big dog,” Tim continued. “A big dog won’t fit in this apartment, and you’ll face a fine because you’re already at capacity with Smokey.”</p><p>                “Okay, two things,” Jane claimed. “If you can give me five reasons in the next five minutes, I’ll take moving into the suburbs into consideration.”</p><p>                “Now ?”  he asked.</p><p>                “Now.”</p><p>                “Uh, damn, okay, uh . . . the room I’m sleeping in can barely fit a double bed in there, and I’m sure that the baby would want a full sized adult bed when they get too big for a crib, if the baby’s scared of heights, you live on the sixth floor of this building, and I still want to live with you –“</p><p>                “Wait, what ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Was that time ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “No, what did you say ?” she asked.</p><p>                “The baby might be scared of heights ? he asked.</p><p>                “After that !!”</p><p>                “You live on the sixth floor of this apartment building ?”</p><p>                “No, Einstein !! After that; about us still living together !!”</p><p>                “Oh . . . uh . . .” Tim paused.</p><p>                She heard him say that, didn’t she ? He was hoping she wouldn’t or would at least brush it off and act like he didn’t. His hand rubbed the back of his neck as he looked to the side.</p><p>                “I still want to live with you,” he repeated. “Listen Jane, I like being here with you. It gives me a sense of home again. I – I mean, I could always help with the baby when they get here, but . . . I get it if that’s crossing the line. You need your space, and I’m sure if you get another boyfriend, you wouldn’t want your brother living in the same house with you.”</p><p>                Her hand squeezed his and she laid his hand on her stomach, which allowed him to touch her belly that grew with impending life for the second time that day.</p><p>                He didn’t freak out over the fact that he was able to touch her stomach again, this time it felt natural . . . it even felt right. Tim didn’t think that there was ever a right time to touch a pregnant woman’s belly, it was always awkward when he was asked by neighbors and friends if he wanted to feel the baby. Sure, he was always excited, because who wouldn’t want to feel the miracle of life growing inside someone’s belly ? But, this was quite possibly the most natural time he had ever touched a pregnant woman’s stomach.</p><p>                “I wouldn’t mind having you around either,” she whispered. “It’s nice to have someone else here, and I’m sure you’ll be really helpful with all your Pin – It hacks and TubeyFeed tips.”</p><p>                They didn’t say anything as they watched the date going on between Candace Wentworth and Cooper ‘Spinach – In – His – Teeth’ Tinnerfield, and as always Cooper had pasta sauce in between his teeth while he was in his confessional interview, as he talked about how he was the perfect match for Candace because he did volleyball professionally for all of his college years.</p><p>                Tim’s hand ran along the fabric of Jane’s dress that covered her stomach. She wasn’t the most pregnant – pregnant woman ( she didn’t even have a baby bump yet !! ), but he knew that there was a little lima bean baby growing in there, and that was enough. That little thing was going to be his niece or nephew, and the thought alone was incredibly exciting to him.</p><p>                It seemed like days had gone by, even though they were only about three episodes into the series, and Tim nudged Jane’s head.</p><p>                “Hey, are you awake ?” he asked.</p><p>                She nodded ‘yes’.</p><p>                “The next episode is when Cooper goes home, right ?” he asked.</p><p>                “No, Connor goes home.”</p><p>                “Which one’s Connor ?”</p><p>                “The one with the gap in his teeth.”</p><p>                “Oh yeah, that’s right. Cooper goes home on the episode with the pool party because he accidentally trips Candace into the pool.”</p><p>                “No, that’s Calvin,” Jane reminded. “Cooper goes home during the episode at the gym because he ends up checking out other girls while he and Candace are working out together.”</p><p>                “I thought that was Cory ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “It doesn’t matter, they all have ‘C’ names and look the same anyway,” Jane stated.</p><p>                “Then why do you watch the show ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Sometimes it’s nice to think about going to a fancy restaurant or to a beach,” she responded. “I love the city, but you have to get tired of the same old, same old.”</p><p>                “I tried telling you that,” he reminded.</p><p>                “That doesn’t mean that I have the suburban dream like you do,” she argued. “I just want to get out of the city for like, a weekend, and do something else. Work is killing me, and I’m tired of coming home to the same apartment every day.”</p><p>                “So you want to go on a vacation ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, kind of,” she agreed. “I don’t know where to, but away from here.”</p><p>                “Niagara Falls is a six hour drive from here,” Tim recommended. “We could always pack up out bags and just go.”</p><p>                “That’s expensive,” she said. “Besides, I have to save money to get stuff for a nursery over the next few months, and a house if you have anything to say about it.”</p><p>                “Saratoga Springs is three hours away,” Tim claimed. “We could go boating and enjoy the springs while we’re there, like a tiny getaway.”</p><p>                “Sounds boring,” she said. “I want to go somewhere fun.”</p><p>                “Rochester ?”</p><p>                “Nah.”</p><p>                “Now you’re being impossible.”</p><p>                “Don’t take it there.”</p><p>                “Well, where would you want to go ?” he asked.</p><p>                Jane sat in silence for a few minutes, and tapped the tips of her toes together as she thought.</p><p>                “There’s a Suncrest Inn at the other side of town,” she claimed.</p><p>                “Out of all these things, you choose to go to a hotel ?” he asked.</p><p>                “We’d be staying in a hotel anyway,” she argued. “What’s the difference ?”</p><p>                “Fine, we’ll stay at the hotel in the same town we live in,” he agreed. “I don’t get why you shot all these other trips down, though.”</p><p>                “Yay !!” she squealed. “A stay – cation !!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Tim's Lutalica</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕚𝕩 :</p><p>𝕋𝕚𝕞'𝕤 𝕃𝕦𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕒</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p> </p><p>                It was now the weekend of the older Willoughby siblings well deserved stay – cation in New York City. Jane had planned the entire trip and sent the to – do list to Tim on Friday morning, and it consisted of swimming in the hotel pool, going shopping around the area, getting ice cream, and getting Big Top’s fried chicken.</p><p>                “So you packed your bathing suit, right ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “You told me to,” Tim reminded.</p><p>                “Just making sure,” Jane claimed. “Maybe after we walk down the street to K.K’s, we can come back and swim. It sucks that I can’t use the hot tub anymore; it’s like my doctor is terrified that I’m going to hard boil the fetus.”</p><p>                Tim knitted his eyebrows in both disgust at the thought of Jane being a walking hard boiled egg, and concern of whether or not that can even happen. He pulled his suitcase off the bed and rolled it into the closet.</p><p>                “That can’t happen, can it ?” he asked.</p><p>                “No, you dud,” Jane stated. “I can’t use hot tubs because it puts my body under pressure that the baby can’t stand. I guess I have to stick to freezer section cold pool water.”</p><p>                “What if you put just your legs in the hot tub ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “That takes the fun out of it,” she claimed. “It’s like the hot tub’s teasing me.”</p><p>                “You know what cosmic irony really feels like ?” he asked. “Booking a room that has two queen sized beds, but then they misbook and give us a room with one king sized bed.”</p><p>                “No, cosmic irony is getting pregnant and your ex leaving you before you get the chance to tell them,” Jane replied. “It’s like the universe hates us.”</p><p>                Tim pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked up ‘cosmic irony’. The internet read as “Cosmic Irony ; When the universe or a higher power creates situations that are inconvenient for the main character’.</p><p>                “Story of my life,” Tim muttered to himself.</p><p>                “So how’s production on the eggs going ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Okay so far,” he answered. “We’ve figured out a way to make the eggs hollow without breaking them.”</p><p>                “Do you have any ideas for the app part of the project ?” Jane questioned.</p><p>                “The theme is birds, so each egg is going to contain a different bird card that has a Q.R code on the back,” Tim explained. “So, you as you collect different cards, you get to put them in this little virtual aviary, and you can take care of all your birds.”</p><p>                “Who thought up that idea ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                Tim snorted at the thought or who’s idea it was.</p><p>                “Rick from marketing.”</p><p>                “Ugh, I hate that guy.”</p><p>                “Total poindexter.”</p><p>                “I could think of a few more words.”</p><p>                “Let’s not.”</p><p>                Jane sat on the bed to put her shoes on, to Tim’s persistent commentary, she was going to wear sheepskin boots while walking around. It was the perfect weather for them; cloudy, not too warm, but it wasn’t pouring rain. She got up from the bed and adjusted her jeans around her hips.</p><p>                “Ready to go ?” she asked.</p><p>                Tim picked up his wallet from the nightstand before he put it into his pocket.</p><p>                “Ready.”</p><p>                Both siblings headed out of the hotel room and down the corridors of the hallways to get to the elevator and go down to the ground floor.</p><p>                “I love hotels, I like the designs on the carpet, and the twists and turns you have to take,” he commented.</p><p>                “I went to the casino hotels on the Strip of Las Vegas for my twenty – first birthday,” Jane reminded. “I wish you could’ve been there, but I’m glad you decided to go to rehab.”</p><p>                “I wanted to be there to, honestly,” he reassured. “But Vegas wasn’t really the town for me with the mindset I had.”</p><p>                “We went to New York, New York, and they had a soda shop that sold international sodas,” Jane claimed. “A. got the International Taste Test plate, and decided to mix all the sodas in one cup and drink it.”</p><p>                “I’m sure that didn’t end well,” Tim joked.</p><p>                They finally made it to the empty elevator and pushed the button to go to the ground floor. Both of them looked around the elevator and listened to the soft ambiance of the elevator music.</p><p>                “He was throwing up in the bathroom for a solid five minutes,” Jane clarified. “To make matters even worse, we had just gotten done eating at a restaurant in the casino, so he had thrown up about one hundred dollars worth of food.”</p><p>                “How much did you guys spend down there ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “I don’t really remember,” Jane answered. “To be honest, I don’t remember anything from my birthday onward. All I can say is that I had a lot of fun.”</p><p>                “We’re you with A. and B. the entire time ?” he asked.</p><p>                “As far as I’m aware, yeah,” Jane responded. “B. was sober a majority of the time, there was probably one night we had to all cab ride back to our hotel.”</p><p>                “Which hotel did you guys stay at ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “We were in the Venetian,” Jane claimed. “We went on a gondola ride, and A. was hungover, so it was funny to see a guy like him with aviator sunglasses and a little parasol, sipping a little champagne flute of water, on a gondola.”</p><p>                “Wait a minute,” Tim interrupted. “The twins were nineteen !!”</p><p>                Jane bit her lips together and looked away from her older brother.</p><p>                “Oops.”</p><p>                “You know Nanny would kill you if she ever found out.”</p><p>                “Good thing I’m not talking to her right now.”</p><p>                “Oh my god.”</p><p>                The elevator dinged as the doors opened up and they exited the elevator to go outside, into the comfort of the city once again. This time it was different, because they were acting as visitors to the jungle of a city, there was no Melanoff eggs or wedding dresses to worry about. There was no divorces or breakups on their minds. It was just a new wild adventure that waited to sweep the Willoughbys away.</p><p>                “So Kustard Kones is to the left, about five buildings,” Jane instructed. “Then after that, we can just . . . what do you want to do ?”</p><p>                “I don’t know,” Tim answered. “Maybe we should walk around and see what’s to offer.”</p><p>                Jane held her hand out to Tim, who took it and they walked to Kustard Kones together, weaving between people who weren’t paying any mind to them. Nobody cared about what was going on in their lives, but neither did they. Tim and Jane could barely care about their own lives on this little stay – cation.</p><p>                “Sounds like a plan,” Jane agreed.</p><p>                The two older siblings walked into the small ice cream shop, where the chalkboard menu was filled with different sundae options. One in particular stuck out to Jane, and it was one called ‘Brookie Remix’. It had brownie and chocolate chip cookie bites, with vanilla – peanutbutter swirl icecream, topped with whipped cream, caramel, hot fudge, and cherries.</p><p>                “I think I might get a strawberry shake,” Tim claimed.</p><p>                “Look at all the other things you could get,” Jane pointed out. “There’s a sundae with an entire chocolate bar chopped up into it !! We’re on vacation, the calories don’t count here.”</p><p>                “They’ll count when we get back home,” he said. “Then I’ll have to take up going to the gym again.”</p><p>                “C’mon Tim,” Jane pouted. “Get outside your comfort zone.”</p><p>                “Fine,” he sighed. “I think I’ll try that ‘Baseball Dugout’ one.”</p><p>                It had mixed nuts, raspberry sauce, vanilla ice cream, and caramel. At least it wasn’t a basic, generic strawberry shake.</p><p>                They ordered their respective sundaes and watched as the young teenager made both their sundaes, she took them to the cash register for Tim to pay for them both. They sat at a booth that was in the coziest corner of the shop. Corner seats were rare in places like these, because while New York City always had people packed together like sardines in a can, people still hated being around eachother and would choose any seat that was seated as far away from other people as possible.</p><p>                “I saw a Luna – Leggings across the street,” Jane commented. “Maybe we should go and check it out after this. They might have some maternity leggings.”</p><p>                “If you want to,” Tim agreed. “I saw that there was a bookstore right next to it, and maybe we could go and check that out afterwards.”</p><p>                “Sure,” Jane agreed. “It gives us more of a plan than just walking around, and hoping we run into a building that looks interesting.”</p><p>                The bell rung at the front door, and a heavyset tanned woman on her phone came walking in. It couldn’t be. Tim looked over Jane’s shoulder, and he attempted to see if it was who he thought it was. He had to hide his face, because if it was who he thought it was, she couldn’t see him. He grabbed onto Jane’s shoulders, and used his sister as a human shield.</p><p>                “Hey, what are you - !!”</p><p>                “Ssshh . . .”</p><p>                Her hair was pulled up into a half bun and her face was caked with makeup to make her look ‘natural’. She looked bigger than she did three months ago, if it was who he thought it was. The woman ordered her milkshake, to – go, before she lifted her phone up to her ear and shouted at the other person on the end of the line. Her focus was for sure on whatever was on her phone, and she never once looked in the direction of Tim and Jane.</p><p>                Jane pulled Tim’s hands away from her face and looked over her shoulder, before she gasped and looked away. She did a double take as the woman picked up her milkshake and turned dangerously close to their table, which allowed both Willoughby siblings to get a good look at her outfit, her face, her mannerisms. She left out the front door.</p><p>                “Was that . . . ?” Jane started.</p><p>                “Queen,” Tim confirmed.</p><p>                “Did you see her shirt ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                Tim nodded. His heart felt as if it had stopped over reading the words on her shirt, and that he saw a cushion cut engagement ring on her ring finger. Millions of ideas ran through his head. Millions of feelings ran through his head. There were questions of ‘How ?’, questions of ‘Why ?’, feelings of ‘You weren’t good enough’, and feelings of ‘You deserve it’.</p><p>                He wanted to go home.</p><p>                He had no home to go to.</p><p>                His home was gone.</p><p>                He was staying with his sister until she got tired of him.</p><p>                The walls were closing in.</p><p>                He was trapped.</p><p>                What was going on ?</p><p>                Why couldn’t he breathe ?</p><p>                Without a second thought, he got out of the booth and left. He nearly stumbled back at the city air that hit him, consumed him. The lights were the ghosts that haunted him. No face had any features. He needed to go left, so left he went. He couldn’t tell if he said ‘excuse me’ if he had passed the people, or if he was shoving people to the side so he could get back to the hotel. He didn’t really care.</p><p>                He had made it back inside the Suncrest Inn, and he couldn’t hear anything besides his own thoughts. The lights seemed to blind him and he hid his face under his hand. The carpet pattern that he once liked seemed to turn into vines that coaxed him into and even deeper, darker jungle than the city outside. He made it to the elevator and stepped in. Tim paced along the ground after he pressed the button to the fifth floor. He rubbed his temples in an attempt to try and soothe himself, but all that did was make the thoughts in his head repeat themselves.</p><p>                He wasn’t good enough for Queen. She cheated on him, and probably for way longer than a week. He wasn’t good enough for anybody, and that’s why Jane wanted him out of the apartment soon. He was a failure. He couldn’t handle living by himself. He couldn’t support himself. He didn’t deserve to be there. Jane was just being nice because she had to be.</p><p>                He fumbled with his wallet, before he took the key to their room out of it. Tim’s body shook, and continued to shake and quiver with the overwhelming, pile of bricks panic as he made his way out of the elevator and down the hallways twists and turns that he admired when he first arrived. Somehow, he was able to get the key card into the slot. Tim beat the door in with his shoulder, before he slammed the door shut behind him. He still couldn’t breathe, so he yanked the collar of his polo, which popped all except the last button clean off the stitches.</p><p>                He groaned to himself before he switched the lamp lights off and threw himself onto the bed. Tim took one of the pillows and shielded his face from the rest of the room, and finally, he cried. He hadn’t cried in weeks. Pathetic that he was doing it now. It was pathetic that he was crying now. He was a grown man, and he was curled up in a hotel bed, and he cried like a little kid. It was one of those cries that he would have to wheeze in between sobs, or else he would hyperventilate, and choke himself.</p><p>                It was dark.</p><p>                It was quiet.</p><p>                He was alone.</p><p>                He was alone, and that’s how it should be.</p><p>                The door opened and he saw the dim light of the lamp against the window.</p><p>                “Tim ?”</p><p>                He didn’t respond.</p><p>                “Tim . . .”</p><p>                He felt a hand on his back; small, dainty, feminine.</p><p>                Home.</p><p>                “Hey . . .”</p><p>                He was rolled over and lifted into her lap. She pulled his head into her neck. Her scent was the most familiar smell he had smelled the entire time he was on this trip; warm cashmere of her coat, and vanilla tones from the lotion she used – Jane.</p><p>                He started to catch his breath, and closed his eyes at the sensation of her acrylic nails that ran through his scalp. Tim snuggled his face into her neck and clutched onto her shoulder.</p><p>                Her thumb caressed the side of his ribs as she rocked and comforted him. Jane said nothing, with all her focus on Tim, and her main objective was to make sure that he was okay.</p><p>                “She’s pregnant . . .” he managed.</p><p>                “Are you guilty ?” Jane asked. “Do you feel like you have to go back to her and your baby ?”</p><p>                Tim and Jane finally made eye contact. No words were needed for his answer, his face said it all.</p><p>                “It’s not . . . oh . . .” Jane responded. “Can you even . . . ?”</p><p>                He shook his head.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Oh</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “Yeah . . .”</p><p>                “I – I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”</p><p>                “Don’t be,” Tim reassured. “I didn’t want you to.”</p><p>                “You were made to be a dad, Tim,” Jane soothed. “I don’t care what anybody else says.”</p><p>                “Cosmic irony, right ?” he claimed.</p><p>                He tried to laugh, but the most he could muster was a soft ‘hah’.</p><p>                She set his head in her lap and continued to play with his hair.</p><p>                “Cosmic irony that the one who didn’t want to be a parent is having a baby, and the one who was made for it . . . y’know ?” she teased.</p><p>                “Story of my life,” he sighed.</p><p>                “Did you and Queen ever consider adopting ?” Jane asked. “We both know that adoption isn’t a bad thing. You might’ve been able to get a kid or kids that went through the same stuff we did, and then you would’ve been able to empathize with them, and get them adjusted to the world, like Nanny did to us.”</p><p>                “I brought it up, but uh . . .” he shook his head. “She wanted to have her own kids.”</p><p>                He bit the inside of his cheek and nodded, remembering all the things they went though, all of the things they fought for and fought against. It never seemed to be enough, and there was rarely a compromise.</p><p>                “We were in doctor’s office after doctor’s office,” he said. “I was on hormones, some doctors wanted to preform some sort of miracle surgery that would just take the problem away. After awhile, my body was getting tired of it, <strong><em>I</em></strong> was getting tired of it.”</p><p>                “Hormonal therapy is always strenuous on the body,” Jane claimed. “You’re forcing your body to do something that it’s not used to doing. You’re introducing more hormones to your body than it normally produces. You have every right to get tired of that, she should’ve respected or at least understood that.”</p><p>                “She didn’t,” Tim clarified. “She was constantly pressuring me to get surgery to get the problem fixed, but I didn’t see the point; doctors only said that the surgery had a five percent chance of working.”</p><p>                “You didn’t need to be fixed, Tim,” Jane defended. “You weren’t broken. You <strong><em>aren’t</em></strong> broken.”</p><p>                “What kind of man can’t have kids, Jane ?” he asked.</p><p>                “It’s not as uncommon as people make it seem,” Jane justified. “When I was doing in – vitro, I saw posters about it, and even talked to the doctor. Almost fifteen percent of men have problems with that, but that doesn’t mean that they’re worthless or don’t have fulfilling lives.”</p><p>                “That was one of the things I was supposed to do,” Tim claimed. “I was supposed to carry on the Willoughby name, and carry on the Willoughby greatness. I can’t have kids, and I can’t even grow a mustache !! Father could grow one and he wasn’t even that great !!”</p><p>                “You’re great in other ways, Tim,” Jane argued. “You don’t need a mustache to tell everyone that. I can see it, and everyone who loves you can see it. You are a great Willoughby, mustache or not.”</p><p>                “How can you say that ?” he asked.</p><p>                “You went through all those arguments and fights with Queen, and you went lengths to make her happy,” Jane started. “You care so much about other people, like me and my baby that isn’t even born yet. You’re a hard worker, and that can be proven through the fact that you used to live in one of the most expensive suburbs in New York City. You graduated from Yale, for cosmos’ sake !!”</p><p>                She sat him up and cupped his cheeks. Even Jane had began to tear up, which was probably something she had only done in the privacy of her own company.</p><p>                “You are a great Willoughby,” she said. “And I don’t want anyone to convince you otherwise, not even yourself.”</p><p>                Jane leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek, before she wrapped him in a hug. Her nails were lightly dug into the back of his head and back.</p><p>                It took Tim a moment to process everything that had happened, but in the end, he returned the hug. He buried his mouth into the crook of her neck and squeezed her tight. The thoughts were suppressed as he only thought about Jane, and the love she had gave to him. She allowed him to stay in her home, without asking any questions. She made sure that he was fed on the days he didn’t feel like getting out of bed. She brought him coffee to help him with the late night hours he had spent on going over paper work, or contacting other businesses. She let him lean of her when he needed a place to destress.</p><p>                He had a home.</p><p>                It was with her.</p><p>                “I’m sorry I was such a jerk when we were kids,” he apologized. “I know it doesn’t matter now, but I realized that I never really told you that out loud.”</p><p>                “It’s fine, Tim,” she crooned. “You were just looking out for me and the Barnabys.”</p><p>                “You’ve done so much for me that you haven’t even realized,” he sighed. “Thank you, Jane.”</p><p>                She squeezed him tighter.</p><p>                He took in another breath of her soothing scent that enveloped him.</p><p>                “Thank you . . .”</p><p>                “I love you, Tim,” she consoled. “Don’t forget that. If you do, I’ll always remind you of it.”</p><p>                “I don’t deserve you.”</p><p>                “Don’t say that. You deserve love, and kindness, and care. You’re a person, Tim. People need to be there for eachother, to look out for eachother.”</p><p>                He didn’t say anything, but neither or them pulled away from the hug.</p><p>                “Do you want to go to Big Top’s ?” he asked.</p><p>                “We have all weekend,” Jane reassured. “Right now, you need rest.”</p><p>                “Don’t stop the trip because of me,” Tim said. “We didn’t even get to finish our ice cream at K.K’s because I ran away, and that was something you wanted to do.”</p><p>                “Kustard Kones will always be there,” Jane stated. “Who knows how long I have left with you. Get in the shower and relax. I can go across the street to that Dynamite Dim Sum booth.”</p><p>                “Are you sure you don’t need me to go with you ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I’m sure,” Jane confirmed. “It’s just across the street.”</p><p>                “Okay,” he sighed. “If you insist.”</p><p>                He went into the closet to get his pajamas and headed to the bathroom.</p><p>                Jane got her wallet from off the counter and stuffed it back into her coat pocket before she made her way back out the twisty halls of the hotel, to the elevator, and out the front door. It was a light drizzle outside, but that wasn’t anything rare in New York City. Jane made her way across the crosswalk to the little booth labeled “Dynamite Dim Sum”. There was a few people in line so she stood at the back and looked at the menu.</p><p>                Jane was the type of girl that normally ordered noodles from a takeout place and called it a night, but they were on vacation, and it was time to push her comfort zone and try something new. She saw boxes of Har Gow, Siu Mai, Fung Zhao, but the one that stuck out to her the most was Baozi. The picture had a box of ten baozi buns, with one being torn open with chopsticks.</p><p>                The sight was enough to make her mouth water and she knew she had to get a box for herself and Tim to share. If she was the one buying it, he couldn’t complain, unless he was willing to go out and get what he wanted for dinner, but Jane couldn’t fathom making him go out by himself. Not right now, at least. It would simply be too cruel. He was stressed, and the whole Queen situation wasn’t helping.</p><p>                It was finally her turn to order and she looked up at the young Chinese cashier, who had a notepad out for Jane’s order.</p><p>                “I would like the Baozi box,” Jane requested. “Ten baozis, please.”</p><p>                She noticed the little refrigerator that was under the counter and saw the front filled with soda bottles. Jane grabbed one bottle of Angel Kiss Cola and Envy Lemon Lime before she placed both bottles on the counter.</p><p>                “And these too.”</p><p>                The cashier tore off Jane’s ticket and pressed a few buttons on the register.</p><p>                “That will be twenty – two sixteen,” the cashier said.</p><p>                Jane took her credit card out and inserted it into the card machine, and entered her PIN number when she was asked to do so. She waited for about five minutes before the box and sodas were handed back to her. She walked back to the hotel room, where Tim had just gotten out of the shower and was in a band tee and pajama shorts while he scrolled through his phone on the bed.</p><p>                “She is pregnant,” he announced. “Come look at her pregnancy announcement on Pictogram.”</p><p>                Jane brought the box and sodas over to the bed, before she gave Tim the lemon line soda and she popped open her cola. She looked over his shoulder to see Queen’s Pictogram, with a picture of an ultrasound, next to a calendar marked for April Twenty Ninth, and a light up sign that read ‘Expecting Baby Kennicott – Johnson : April Twenty Ninth.’</p><p>                “How basic is that ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, I’m sure she got that idea from Pin – It,” Jane agreed. “I’m guessing that her gender reveal is going to be a picture of her new man putting paint on a white t – shirt she’s wearing.”</p><p>                “What are you going to do for your gender reveal ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “I don’t know,” Jane claimed. “Maybe I just might the Barnabys to run around in colored speedos across my gender reveal party.”</p><p>                Tim laughed out loud to the thought of the twins doing that, even more so at the fact he knew they would both be on <strong><em>board</em></strong> for that idea.</p><p>                “You want a gender reveal party too ?” he asked.</p><p>                “What’s wrong with having both ?” she asked. “We could get only essential stuff at one party, like pacifiers, and bottles, and then we could get clothes, and toys at the other.”</p><p>                “I’m sure the Barnabys would like having a whole lot of parties in one year,” Tim agreed. “We could have a baby shower, then it’s their birthday, and then we could have a gender reveal a month before A.’s bachelor party.”</p><p>                “It’s going to be a year of partying, that’s for sure,” Jane claimed. “I guess that’s good, because I’m sure not going to be able to party once the baby gets here.”</p><p>                “What if you became a cool mom ?” Tim asked. “You could be going out to concerts and stuff while I sit at home and take care of the baby.”</p><p>                Jane chuckled at the notion, but shook her head at the idea.</p><p>                “You really are a dad at heart,” she teased. “But, it’s my job as a mom to take care of my baby. I shouldn’t be going out and having fun when I have a baby at home who needs me.”</p><p>                “Aw, come on,” Tim insisted. “You could be out doing fancy city girl things, and the baby and I could be doing karaoke or I could teach them to play Donnacheck.”</p><p>                “Well, it would be nice for them to have a dad to teach them those things,” Jane claimed. “I’d still want to be there for it all though, so I can see my kid be a natural card player and take you down by a landslide.”</p><p>                Jane opened the box of Baozi buns and put the box between them. She handed the plastic pack of a fork, knife, and napkin to Tim as they both began to dig into the pork buns.</p><p>                “You know, it would be nice to have a kid to teach those things to,” he claimed.</p><p>                Within the blink of an eye, it was a telepathic epiphany that both siblings had. They looked up at the box of baozi and swallowed what was in their mouths. They stared at eachother for a good few minutes.</p><p>                “Are you thinking what I’m thinking ?” he asked.</p><p>                “What if . . .”Jane started.</p><p>                “We became a family ?” he finished.</p><p>                “We’re already related,” she claimed.</p><p>                “Well, like, a family in a different way,” he explained. “Like, you’re the mom, the baby’s the baby, and I’m the . . .”</p><p>                Jane nodded before smiles crept up on both their faces.</p><p>                “Yeah, that’s not a bad idea, I think you’re onto something,” she confirmed. “Are you sure you want to take on all the responsibility though ? Having a baby isn’t all just karaoke and card games, it’s tantrums and diaper changes too.”</p><p>                “It’s not like we didn’t help change Ruth’s diapers when she was a baby, I think I still have the motions down,” Tim claimed. “It’s powder, up, and then the tabs on the sides go in and it’s changed.”</p><p>                “What about when they won’t go to sleep until three in the morning ?” Jane asked. “Are you prepared for that ?”</p><p>                “I’m sure I can handle it,” he said. “It’s not like I don’t go to sleep until three in the morning anyways.”</p><p>                “So you’re sure you want to handle this ?”</p><p>                He put his fork down and held Jane’s hands. Tim looked his sister in the eyes, and nodded. He wanted her to know that he was truly all in, and he would be by her side for the long haul. There wasn’t a thing that could possibly get rid of him at this point, and he was going to prove that to her.</p><p>                “I’ll be by your side the entire time,” he said.</p><p>                “Even when I’m in the ultrasound office, getting that blue alien goo all over my stomach so they can put a doppler on me ?”</p><p>                “Even then.”</p><p>                “Even when my morning sickness is so bad that I have to pull over in front of Ham Bros.’s to run in and puke all over their bathroom ?”</p><p>                “Even then.”</p><p>                “Even when I’m so big and boated, I’m a walking dandy dirigible myself, that can’t bend over to tie my own shoes ?”</p><p>                “I’ll tie them for you.”</p><p>                “Even when I’m in a hospital bed, sweating, screaming, and spraying fluids that I didn’t even know existed, while the baby’s on the way out ?”</p><p>                “Especially then, Jane.”</p><p>                “Good,” Jane said. “It’s nice to know that someone will always be there for me when I need it most.”</p><p>                “You’re there for me when I need it most,” Tim claimed. “The least I could do is be by your side the entire time you need me.”</p><p>                “Well, your first task is to hand me the remote, so we can continue our trash T.V binge watching,” she said.</p><p>                Jane held her hand out and Tim took the T.V remote off the nightstand, before he put it in her hands.</p><p>                “What’s on tonight ?” he asked.</p><p>                “’Bachelorette in Paradise’,” she said. “The season finale’s on in a few minutes.”</p><p>                Tim sat up and put his arm around her, which allowed Jane to rest on his chest.</p><p>                “You’re gonna be a great momma,” he complimented. “I mean that.”</p><p>                “You’ll be great too,” she claimed. “Poppa.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. La Gaudière</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 :</p><p>𝕃𝕒 𝔾𝕒𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕖̀𝕣𝕖</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                “Are you ready yet ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                She listened into the bathroom, even though the door was shut. Jane squeezed her towel close to her body as she waited for Tim to get out of the bathroom, so they could head down to the hotel pool.</p><p>                “Almost,” Tim responded.</p><p>                “You’re acting like you’re putting on an entire suit,” she teased.</p><p>                “I am,” Tim insisted. “A bathing suit.”</p><p>                “Shut up,” Jane laughed. “Hurry, I want to go and swim before a whole bunch of other people get there.”</p><p>                The heavy wooden door opened up and Tim stood before her. He was in plaid swim trunks and a tank top.</p><p>                “I never understood why guys wear shirts in the pool,” Jane claimed. “It’s always the bigger guys that have the most confidence. You have nothing to worry about.”</p><p>                “I look like one of those skeletons you hang in the yard on Halloween,” he said. “And being as pale as snow doesn’t help any.”</p><p>                “Tim, we don’t tan, we never have,” Jane empathized. “Remember that time we went to the beach and B. got so sunburned that he bathed in milk for a solid three hours just to ease the pain.”</p><p>                “And then we had to wrap him up in toilet paper and aloe vera to the point where he looked like a wet, shiny mummy ?” Tim asked. “That was the worst. He couldn’t even bend his legs for like a week.”</p><p>                “It was his fault that he didn’t want to put sunscreen on,” Jane reminded. “It was funny when we went back to school that week, and he had burn lines around his face where he wore those goggles.”</p><p>                They walked out of the hotel room, and Jane had the key card to the hotel in her fingers. She planned on hiding it in her towel while they swam. They walked close together in the corridor, and she never strayed too far from Tim, just in case he had another panic attack. They were both quiet as they walked down the halls this time, whether it be from trying not to focus on the surroundings or excitement of going to the swimming pool.</p><p>                Once they were out of the elevator, they followed the hotel’s signs to the indoor pool. From the looks of it, the pool was empty, which excited them both even more, because that meant they had access to the sauna, pool, and hot tub ( even though Jane couldn’t use two out of those three things ). Jane ran to the door, before she jiggled the handle.</p><p>                She scrunched her eyebrows as the door didn’t budge.</p><p>                “Hey sweetheart, can’t you read ?” an old janitor patronized. “The sign says down for maintenance.”</p><p>                Jane looked up from the handle to see that there was indeed a ‘Closed’ sign on the door. She took her hand off the handle and turned away, before she saw Tim at the end of the hallway, with his arm in the way of the janitor.</p><p>                “Well, sweetheart, I hope you can read my lips,” Tim said.</p><p>                He then mouthed something extremely obscene to the janitor before he used one specific finger to bid the old man adieu. Tim caught up with Jane and looked at the door’s sign.</p><p>                “Well, that’s a bust,” he said. “Want to go down the street to K.K’s again ?”</p><p>                “We can’t just eat ice cream the entire trip,” Jane argued. “I guess we could just go up to our rooms and order a pizza from that Giovanni’s place next door.”</p><p>                “If that’s what you want to do, I guess we can go and do that,” he agreed. “I’ll call them to place our order, when we get back to our room.”</p><p>                “I want a Hawaiian pizza,” Jane said..</p><p>                “You hate Hawaiian pizza,” Tim stated.</p><p>                “Something about a sweet pizza sounds really good right about now,” she explained. “Maybe it’s just the baby talking.”</p><p>                “Sounds like we’re going to have a pineapple on pizza fan in Chateau Le Jane,” Tim joked. “How do you feel about that, momma ?”</p><p>                “I’m only going to be pregnant for six more months,” she claimed. “It can’t be that bad.”</p><p>                They walked the entire way back up to their hotel room, and Tim pulled out his phone to order the pizza from next door.</p><p>                “Hey Tim, I’m going to use the bathroom really quick,” she called to him.</p><p>                “Okay,” he said.</p><p>                The phone began ringing before a teenage boy answered the phone.</p><p>                “Welcome to Giovanni’s, how may I take your order ?”</p><p>                Tim picked up the pamphlet that was in the drawer of the nightstand and scanned over the selection of pizzas, side options, and sodas they had to offer.</p><p>                “Yes, I’d like to put in a delivery order for your hand tossed pepperoni, pan – crust Hawaiian, a side of cheesy breadsticks and a side of sweet barbeque wings, and a two liter Angel Kiss Cola.”</p><p>                “Where will this be delivered to ?”</p><p>                “The Suncrest Inn next door,” Tim confirmed. “Room number one – thousand sixteen.”</p><p>                “Your order will be on your way soon, may I have a name for the order ?”</p><p>                “Willoughby.”</p><p>                “Okay, Mister Willoughby, the order should be there in thirty minutes.”</p><p>                “Thank you.”</p><p>                Tim hung up the phone and shuttered at the though of being called ‘Mister Willoughby’, that was what the tax collectors called Father when they still lived in House Willoughby. He couldn’t see himself as his father, and he never, ever hoped to either. He tried to disassociate with their biological parents as much as he could. It was like their parents were the biggest mistake in one of the world’s greatest chains.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Tim, come in here</em></strong> !!”</p><p>                Jane’s scream shot a wave of panic over his body.</p><p>                What had happened ?</p><p>                Did something happen ?</p><p>                Was Jane okay ?</p><p>                Was the baby okay ?</p><p>                Did Jane have a . . . y’know ?</p><p>                He ran into the bathroom and his eyes darted around the room, as he looked for anything to give him hints; bloody clothes, Jane on the ground, blood in the sink or toilet. Nothing, finally his eyes locked in on a sliding door and something behind it.</p><p>                “They have a jacuzzi tub !!” she exclaimed.</p><p>                “Damn it, Jane, you scared me !!” he scolded.</p><p>                “Oops,” she said. “But look, it could probably fit the both of us !!”</p><p>                “You think that a bathtub is going to fit me in it ?” he asked. “No dice.”</p><p>                “Come on, Tim,” she pouted. “Just try and sit in it.”</p><p>                He sighed and walked into the bathroom, before he entered the sliding door and sat in the bathtub. His feet had to be propped up on the edge of the tub, and he had to bend his knees a little bit. He didn’t really fit that well. Tim looked up at Jane, who looked back at him with the most pleading puppy eyes he had seen from a person in a long time. If their baby was going to be anything like her, their baby would have Tim wrapped around their pinkie.</p><p>                He groaned and shook his head.</p><p>                “Fine.”</p><p>                “I told you that you’d like it !!”</p><p>                “You can get it ready while I wait for the pizza.”</p><p>                Jane bent over and started to fill the bathtub with water, while Tim went to look out the peephole to see if the pizza guy had gotten there yet. There was no pizza guy at the door, so he decided to get their bags off the bed. He went to the king sized bed he and Jane had shared for the past day. He folded the front of his suitcase and rolled the bag off the bed and into the closet. Tim went over to Jane’s suitcase and closed it with lightning fast speed before he saw way more than he wanted to, and he zipped it up, before he carried the wheelless suitcase off the bed and into the closet.</p><p>                “These buttons are so hard to figure out,” Jane called.</p><p>                “They shouldn’t be too hard,” Tim called back.</p><p>                “Do you know what this knob does ?” she asked.</p><p>                “It probably controls how hard the jets go on your back,” he answered. “That’s what my old jacuzzi tub did back when I was still living with Queen.”</p><p>                “You guys had a jacuzzi tub too ?” Jane asked. “Your house had everything !! Bathroom heat lamps, a waterfall shower, and a jacuzzi tub ?”</p><p>                “We had to renovate a little bit, the bathrooms were a little outdated,” he explained. “I wanted a cooler shower than the ones we had at House Willoughby.”</p><p>                “I thought you liked the old timey, Victorian architecture ?” Jane teased.</p><p>                “Well, yeah, the houses look nice,” Tim agreed. “But nothing beats having a waterfall shower and a heat lamp to use after a shower.”</p><p>                “That sounds like heaven,” Jane daydreamed. “I wish the apartment had something like that.”</p><p>                “If you moved into the suburbs, you could have things like that,” Tim encouraged. ”It might take a bit of time and a lot of money, but house flipping is normally totally worth it.”</p><p>                “Were you happy with the results in yours and Queen’s house ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Absolutely,” Tim claimed. “I even got to break down a few walls in the house. The Barnabys came over and helped with the process.”</p><p>                “They are geniuses, so I’m sure that it came easy for them,” Jane responded.</p><p>                “It took them a minute,” Tim claimed. “But eventually they got the hang of it. Both of them really know their blueprints.”</p><p>                “That’s what I said,” Jane argued. “They’re geniuses.”</p><p>                There was a knock at the front door, and Tim grabbed his wallet so he could give the pizza person the money he owed. A middle aged man stood before Tim once he opened it.</p><p>                “Order for ‘Willoughby’?” he asked.</p><p>                Tim nodded.</p><p>                “Yeah.”</p><p>                He pulled out a credit card machine and Tim slid his card through the slot on the side, before he selected a seven dollar tip and signed off on the purchase.</p><p>                “Thank you,” Tim dismissed.</p><p>                He took the pizzas from the man’s arms and brought them inside. He looked into the bathroom to see Jane had already made herself at home in the jacuzzi tub and the bubbles erupted all around her like she was at a music festival.</p><p>                “Bring the pizza in here,” she said. “Put it on the water so we can eat it in the bath.”</p><p>                “Won’t the cardboard start melting because of the water ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Who cares ?” Jane asked. “It’ll be fun.”</p><p>                Tim shook his head and brought the boxes of pizza into the bathroom before he set the box of pepperoni pizza on the ground and took the box of Hawaiian pizza into the tub, where he squeezed in next to Jane.</p><p>                “At least I was able to put this bathing suit to use while we were here,” she said. “Who knows how long it’ll be until I’m able to fit in this again.”</p><p>                “You’ll be back in it about six months after the baby’s born,” Tim stated. “I’ll bet you twenty bucks on it.”</p><p>                “I give it three years,” Jane claimed.</p><p>                Both siblings shook on the bet they had made, before they each pulled a slice of pizza out of their respective boxes.</p><p>                “So, have you been thinking about the baby ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Not really,” Jane responded. “It’s not like they really do much.”</p><p>                “Not about what they’re doing,” Tim said. “Like about names ?”</p><p>                “Oh, uh . . . I guess I should start thinking about that,” Jane noted. “Do you have any names ?”</p><p>                “Me ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Well, you agreed to help raise them, you should have a little bit of recommendations,” Jane claimed. “But I still get the final say in what goes and what doesn’t.”</p><p>                “I’ve always liked Edmund for a boy,” Tim said.</p><p>                “We’re not naming our baby after great – uncle Edmund,” Jane sharply said. “They need to have a name of their own; like Augustus, or Alistair.”</p><p>                “We did have a great – great – great grandfather named Augustus,” Tim said. “And we have a great – great aunt named Alistair.”</p><p>                “So Augustus and Alistair are off the table,” Jane said. “We’re not having any repeats.”</p><p>                “You’re making it hard, Jane,” Tim responded. “We have a lot of relatives.”</p><p>                “I think it’s only fair to give them a name that hasn’t been used before,” Jane claimed. “What about Seraphine May Rose Willoughby ?”</p><p>                “You’re still keeping up the two middle names tradition ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “You have two middle names, Timothy Anthony Malachy Willoughby,” Jane stated.</p><p>                “Well, Jane Florence Elizabeth Willoughby,” he started. “So do you.”</p><p>                “I’m surprised that the Barnabys didn’t keep their middle names,” Jane claimed. “I’m just glad we talked them out of renaming themselves ‘Bill’ and ‘Joe’.”</p><p>                “Remember how they tried to convince us to let them have those as middle names ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Anything’s better than what they had,” Jane insisted. “I don’t get why Mother and Father named them after pasta.”</p><p>                “To shut them up, I think,” Tim said. “That’s why I have middle names, because I found out that all the Willoughbys before us did, and for awhile I was the only one with a middle name.”</p><p>                “I really like my middle names,” Jane said. “I’m glad I could help the Barnabys pick theirs too.”</p><p>                “Yeah,” Tim agreed. “Barnaby Alan and Barnaby Benson have some good rings to them.”</p><p>                “I thought they would make great first names,” Jane said. “But they said that either they got to name themselves ‘Bill’ and ‘Joe’ or ‘Alan’ and ‘Benson’ would be middle names.”</p><p>                “How does ‘Max Quentin Theodorus Willoughby’ sound ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I think they should have a proper three syllable name,” Jane claimed. “How about ‘Maximillian Quentin Theodorus Willoughby’ ?”</p><p>                “Sounds like four syllables to me,” Tim teased.</p><p>                Jane elbowed him in his side as he laughed at his own playful chide.</p><p>                “As long as it isn’t a one or two syllable name, or a relatives name, I’m fine.”</p><p>                “One syllable names can be nice too,” Tim defended. “Like ‘Ace Xavier Magnussen Willoughby’.”</p><p>                “What about a girl name ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Uhm . . .” Tim thought for a moment. “Aha, ‘Eve Beatrice Rose Willoughby’.”</p><p>                “I would never give my daughter a middle name like ‘Beatrice’,” Jane shot down. “It sounds like a mean old lady’s name.”</p><p>                “I haven’t heard you come up with any girl’s names,” Tim defended. “So what’s one of your fancy multiple syllable names for a girl ?”</p><p>                “’Isabella Winnifred Marie Willoughby’,” Jane said.</p><p>                “She is going to get picked on with a middle name like ‘Winnifred’,” Tim joked. “’Isabella is a fella’, Her girlhood’s dead with a name like ‘Fred’.”</p><p>                Jane shielded her stomach from Tim, staring at him in mock shock.</p><p>                “How dare you make fun of our daughter like that !!” she exclaimed.</p><p>                “Don’t get hurt,” Tim said. “You know it’s true.”</p><p>                “What are some other names you think are better than that ?” she asked.</p><p>                “’June Lillian Genevieve Willoughby’,” Tim recommended. “At least she still has a girl name.”</p><p>                “What about another boy name ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “’Dirk Francis Oswaldus Willoughby’,” he said.</p><p>                “’Dirk’ and ‘Francis’ in the same name ?” Jane asked. “’Francis’ so sounds like a girl’s name, and ‘Dirk’ is only a letter away from being di –“</p><p>                Tim stopped her before she could finish her sentence.</p><p>                “Okay, okay,” he rushed. “’Dirk’s a bad name.”</p><p>                Both were silent as the finished their pizza slices. Tim reached for another slice before he noticed that Jane was spaced out as she stared at her pizza box.</p><p>                “Don’t tell me you’re not hungry anymore,” he said. “I bought you an entire pizza for yourself. You can’t throw in the towel at one slice. Don’t do this to my bank account, Jane.”</p><p>                “Taffeta.”</p><p>                Tim furrowed his eyebrows, with his ‘What the hell ?’ like being prominent on his features.</p><p>                “What ?” he asked.</p><p>                “For a girl,” she said. “Taffeta.”</p><p>                She picked up another slice of pizza as she used her hand to hold up the limp bread so it didn’t flop into the water and ruin their makeshift hot tub ( that was a little above lukewarm, due to the doctor’s recommendation. ).</p><p>                “What about the middle names ?” he asked. “Taffeta’s a hard name to figure out two middle names for.”</p><p>                “What if she just has one middle name ?” she asked. “Taffeta’s already a mouthful on it’s own.”</p><p>                “Okay, as long as I get to pick the middle name,” he reasoned.</p><p>                “After an attempt at naming our baby ‘Dirk’, I don’t know how I feel about you naming them if they’re a her.”</p><p>                “I’ll put more thought into it than ‘Dirk’,” Tim reassured. “But I get to pick the first name for a boy.”</p><p>                “So, what’s your pick ?” she asked. “And don’t say Edmund.”</p><p>                “Richard, and we can call him Richie for short,” he said.</p><p>                “Boring,” Jane teased. “You do realize a nickname for Richard is ‘Rick’, right ?”</p><p>                Tim shook his head and stuck out his tongue.</p><p>                “Nevermind,” he said. “I’ll stick with the one syllable names. Short, and to the point.”</p><p>                “Well, get thinking,” she chided. “At this rate, we might have baby names picked out for the end of the night.”</p><p>                “Keith has one syllable, right ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                Jane laughed, not a the question but the name. She shook her head and raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. She decided to stop laughing, once she looked at him and his expression told her that he was dead serious about naming their baby ‘Keith’. She could learn to like it; she was sure once she saw her son’s sweet little face ( if she were to have a son ), she would think of the name as a good name, because it would be associated with one of the only little guys that could thaw her frozen heart.</p><p>                “Okay, Keith,” she said. “How does ‘Keith Thaddeus Edward Willoughby’ sound ?”</p><p>                “I like it,” Tim agreed. “What about ‘Taffeta Joy Willoughby’ ?”</p><p>                “Why ‘Joy’ ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Because that’s what she’s going to bring into this world when she comes,” Tim justified. “She may only be a weird alien looking smudge on a few pictures right now, but she already brings me so much joy thinking about her.”</p><p>                “Sounds like you’re hoping we’re having a Taffeta,” Jane joked.</p><p>                “Having a Keith would be fine too,” Tim claimed. “There’s just something about having a girl that . . . feels right, you know ?”</p><p>                “I think you’re realizing that you aren’t good enough of a basketball player to keep up with a little Keith,” Jane pointed out. “You can’t catch a ball, and he would be able to duck right under your legs and shoot a hoop.”</p><p>                “I’m sure I could dominate him in basketball, his little nub feet don’t scare me,” Tim boasted. “Hear that, Keith ? You’re going to have some competition when you’re born.”</p><p>                “I think all he’s hearing is the ‘bluh – bluh – bluh’ of the jets,” Jane said. “You can rub it into his face later.”</p><p>                “That is, if they are a he,” Tim added. “If they’re a she, well . . . I’ll still be able to dominate her on the court. You know what, no matter what they’re born as, or choose to identify as, I’ll still be able to kick their butt.”</p><p>                “I’d knock on wood for luck,” Jane said. “They might end up being even taller than you, by some stroke of luck. Maybe we might have two walking skyscrapers in the family.”</p><p>                “I don’t need luck,” Tim rejected. “What are the odds of having a kid that’s six foot eight ?”</p><p>                “We didn’t think you’d be this tall, until you decided to shoot up like a freakin’ beanstalk,” Jane claimed. “Did Queen and her family feed you magic beans, and that’s how you had such a huge growth spurt so late in life ?”</p><p>                “I don’t think so,” he said. “If anything, she’d probably try to poison me before anything.”</p><p>                Jane elbowed him in his side and scrunched her eyebrows.</p><p>                “Don’t say that,” she whined. “I wouldn’t want to even consider that happening to you.”</p><p>                “Well, it’s true,” he said. “She probably wanted to get rid of me for a long time, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she contemplated it.”</p><p>                “<strong><em>Tim</em></strong> !!”</p><p>                “Okay, okay, okay. . .” he soothed. “I’ll stop talking about it.”</p><p>                “If it means anything, I wouldn’t try to poison you,” she said. “I’ll punch you, but poisoning is going too far.”</p><p>                “It’s nice to know that,” Tim said. “My body would be too hard to hide anyway. What are you going to do ? Fold me up into a trash bag and throw me in a dumpster ?”</p><p>                “That’s really detailed for a theoretical situation,” Jane hesitated.</p><p>                “I’ve been places, Jane,” he said. “Seen things.”</p><p>                “Well, even if you’re being mysterious to be funny . . .”</p><p>                Her arms wrapped around his torso and squeezed him into a hug, where she nuzzled into his neck.</p><p>                “You’re safe now.”</p><p>                “I think pregnancy’s really changing you for the better,” he teased. “I haven’t seen you be this affectionate towards anyone in your entire life.”</p><p>                She pushed him back and flicked water at him.</p><p>                “Moment’s over.”</p><p>                Tim laughed at her reaction. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything, but at least it was funny. Hugs are amazing, and quite possibly one of Tim’s favorite feelings, but he could sacrifice a hug or two in order to press Jane’s buttons, because that was also a good feeling.</p><p>                Jane raised her hands up out of the tub and showed him her pruned, wrinkly finger tips.</p><p>                “I think it’s time to get out,” she said.</p><p>                Tim inspected his own hands to see that they had shriveled due to prolonged water exposure. It was indeed time to get out, before their skin started to peel up. He reached up and turned the tub off as Jane reached down and drained the water. He stood from the tub and took off his shirt before he wrung it out in the water.</p><p>                “Don’t get into the bed with wet trunks on,” she said.</p><p>                “Are you going to change first ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Do you want to change first ?” she asked.</p><p>                “You can,” he said. “Besides, you’ll take forever anyway.”</p><p>                “Shut up !!” she laughed. “I do not take forever, and nobody can take as long as you do to put a bathing suit on.”</p><p>                “You took nearly twenty minutes to put that one on,” Tim reminded. “And it’s a one piece. You just have to put your legs in and pull up.”</p><p>                “And figure out how the straps work, and make sure it doesn’t give me a massive wedgie every time I take two steps, and make sure that I look good in it.”</p><p>                “Who are you trying to impress ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Me, Tim,” Jane defended. “Sometimes I want to look good for myself, and nobody else.”</p><p>                “Okay, whatever,” he said.</p><p>                They both exited the bathroom and Jane went to get her pajamas, while Tim went to turn the T.V on. He flipped through the channels, and attempted to find something for him and Jane to watch that night. Jane wasn’t into romantic comedies, so things such as ‘Sixty Day Soulmate’ and ‘Eleven First Kisses’ were an absolute ‘no’. He didn’t want to watch any horror movies, because stuff like ‘Zoo Rampage Five ; The Monkey Cage Impailings’ and ‘Dead Before Dusk’ gave him the heebie – jeebies. He already didn’t sleep well the night before, as Jane rolled over the pillow wall and slept with a knee in his back, and he wasn’t going to add paranoia of a zombie outbreak to it.</p><p>                She got out of the bathroom, with her hair tied in a bun.</p><p>                “Whatcha’ doin’ ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Trying to find something for us to watch,” he said. “Do you want to look while I go and change ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, I can do that,” she answered.</p><p>                Jane took the remote from Tim’s hand, and clicked through the channels. She saw that he had skipped over the scary movies on the guide, and thankfully he skipped over the romantic comedies too. She saw that the cooking channel had reruns of an old show she and Nanny watched together called ‘You’re Bakin’ Me Crazy’. For a moment, she contemplated on watching it, but in the end, she skipped over it. She didn’t want to think about Nanny, or Melanoff, or what Ruth said. She wasn’t going to think about her problems on this trip, and that included the problems she had faced for the past few years, with the family.</p><p>                She continued to flip through the channels, skipping over boring things like the history channel, and the things she knew Tim would be up all night thinking about, like true crime documentaries.</p><p>                Finally, she landed back on the reality T.V channel, and groaned at the sight of an all night marathon of ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’. She scrunched her eyebrows in deep thought. She didn’t like the show, and neither did Tim, but it was still in the vein of shows they both enjoyed together.</p><p>                She played the show on the T.V, and the sound of Jazz music followed by a horse neigh and trots came from the speakers.</p><p>                “Last time on ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’, Our wives met up at a potluck and things got ugly, when Diane found out that Patty had slept with her dad,”</p><p>                A video played of two of the housewives, Diane Dalloway and Patricia ‘Patty’ Potts, as the former tackled the latter into a table, which caused for potato salad and an entire brisket to go flying in the air.</p><p>                “June Jacobsen found out that her daughter, Heather, was pregnant while they were shopping for Heather’s debutant ball dress.”</p><p>                Another clip of June and Heather played, which showed the mom and her daughter arguing, and June degraded her daughter with every shameful word under the sun.</p><p>                Thank god Tim didn’t react like that when Jane told him that she was pregnant. She wouldn’t know what to do if her family was angry with her for doing this. She still held onto that pill of anger and maybe a little bit of regret towards having a baby. Would she feel like this forever ? Did she hate her baby ?</p><p>                Jane pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind.</p><p>                “And Brandi Buchanan is playing both sides of the fence.”</p><p>                The next clips showed Brandi Buchanan, as she consoled both Diane and Patty after the huge fight between the two, and the two feuding wives swore and cursed about the other. They called eachother names like “dirty pig”, “disgusting slag” among many other names.</p><p>                “What will happen next ? Stay tuned to this episode of ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’.”</p><p>                Tim came out, changed into his pajamas. He picked up the boxes of pizza and set them on the complimentary hotel desk, before he looked at the T.V, to see that ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’ was the thing that Jane had chosen.</p><p>                “The channels are that dry ?” he asked. “I guess we can settle for this.”</p><p>                “Yeah, there’s not much else on,” Jane answered. “Nothing I really want to watch anyway.”</p><p>                “Thanks for not putting on a scary movie,” he teased. “I didn’t want to have a heart attack tonight.”</p><p>                “If you could get through me telling you that I’m pregnant without falling over and seizing, you could get through one scary movie,” Jane said. “Besides, ‘Shark Week Two : Something In The Water’ isn’t even scary. It’s the least scary one of the Shark Week movies.”</p><p>                “Giant mutant sharks are terrifying,” Tim argued. “As a person that likes to go kayaking in the spring, the thought of a huge shark, coming up and biting my kayak in half is not the most pleasant thought.”</p><p>                “You kayak in rapids,” Jane clarified. “Sharks live in the ocean. Your argument is invalid.”</p><p>                Tim sat on the bed next to her and watched the screen.</p><p>                “I wish Brandi would put those teeth away,” Tim said. “She always looks like a donkey when she talks.”</p><p>                Jane looked at the Texan woman’s face before she belted out a laugh at the comparison.</p><p>                “She could totally go to town on some hay with chompers like that !!” Jane exclaimed.</p><p>                “Now that’s not very nice !!” Tim teased. “You still have to leave hay for the donkeys. With hips like Brandi has, she would probably eat a whole haybale before going to wolf down three boxes of Melty Munch Donuts.”</p><p>                “Tim !!” Jane squealed.</p><p>                She playfully pushed him in the shoulder before she leaned over under his shoulder. This was the most comfortable she had been with anybody. Jane never cuddled with Troy after three months of dating, and even before that, it made her uneasy. He always wanted something in return, as if she owed him her body, solely because they were dating. That was a thing they fought about. Jane never felt ready for things like that, even after the deed was said and done. It was always uncomfortable. Kisses were uncomfortable. Cuddles were uncomfortable. Even hugs became uncomfortable to her.</p><p>                With Tim, he never made her feel like she owed anything to her, or that she wasn’t a good woman. He never argued with her about what a woman’s role was in the house, or that Jane made too much money, or that Jane didn’t pick up the house enough. Tim always helped her out around the house and asked her how her day went. He was a good man, and Queen was lucky to have him. Jane was incredibly lucky that she had her brother back, and this baby was going to be the luckiest kid in the world with a man like Tim helping raise them. It was a reassuring thought Jane had.</p><p>                She snuggled up under the blanket, against Tim’s warmth.</p><p>                Home.</p><p>                “I’m so happy that you’re here.”</p><p>                He was quiet for a moment before he chuckled and hugged her.</p><p>                “I am too.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Eradicating Oblivion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔼𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 :</p><p>𝔼𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕆𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕠𝕟</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                It had been two weeks since Tim and Jane returned from their small stay – cation, and it was back to the normal grind for the both of them. One thing, however, was different. Tim had finally pointed it out when he went into Jane’s room to tell her about what he was planning on talking about in the meeting he was going to have after lunch. She finally had the smallest, littlest baby bump. It was if the weight had finally started to take form into what it was supposed to be. She had worn a looser fitting dress, as not to show all of her coworkers. As long as the baby could be concealed behind clothes, she didn’t want to tell everyone, especially after Willow put in her two – week resignation.</p><p>                They were both in front of Ham Bros., and they ate a quick meal of cheeseburgers and waffle fries for lunch, before they had to head back to work.</p><p>                “So, you have that meeting in just a few minutes ?” she asked him.</p><p>                “Yeah, I should probably head back to the factory as soon as we’re done,” Tim said. “Some of our crew from L.A sent in designs for the birds, and designs for the billboard promotions.”</p><p>                “So, they aren’t regular birds ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Why would we put regular birds in an app targeted at kids ?” He asked. “We want the app to be eye – grabbing and fun, so we came up with all kinds of different identities for the birds.”</p><p>                “What are some of them ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “We have a fancy penguin, a lucky duck, a dumb looking goose, a really fast hummingbird,” Tim listed. “And that’s not even scratching the surface of the amount we want to have in the game.”</p><p>                “Are they going to have names ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “What kind of names would you suggest ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “’Sullivan The Silly Goose’ ?” she said.</p><p>                “And it’s three syllables,” Tim pointed out. “A proper name for a silly goose.”</p><p>                “I kind of got a knack for things like that,” Jane teased.</p><p>                “What are you going to do when you get to work ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Patience is coming back in for the bridesmaid dresses,” Jane answered. “Weird thing is, A. has three groomsmen, and I’ve only seen two of her bridesmaids. I think her mom might be a bridesmaid too, but . . . I don’t know. I just hope I can find some dresses that fit everyone.”</p><p>                “People let their moms be bridesmaids ?” Tim asked. “That’s weird.”</p><p>                “I was your best man at your wedding,” Jane reminded. “I’m sure Queen’s family thought it was weird.”</p><p>                “It was a pain in the neck to convince Queen to even let you be in the wedding,” he claimed. “We argued about it for nights, until I put my foot down and said that I should be able to pick who I want in my party, because she got to do everything else in that wedding.”</p><p>                “That’s common sense,” Jane said. “If I were to get married, I’m the one who gets to pick my party.”</p><p>                “Do you think you’ll ever get married ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Probably not,” she replied. “But, I’m kind of fine with that. I gave it some thought, and I don’t think wedded bliss is really for me. Sure, I love wedding dresses, but . . . yeah, marriage doesn’t sit right.”</p><p>                After Jane finally had a solid platonic relationship this past month, she felt as if the arrangement she had with Tim was . . . a good one. She liked when she came home every night to see him, and she liked to have someone in her live that cared about her and the baby. Jane finally had someone she was comfortable around, someone she could cuddle with, someone she could laugh with, and someone that didn’t expect her to bow to his feet. Even if this all was simply platonic, it worked, and the relationship made her feel happy, and it made her feel good about herself, which was something she hadn’t felt in a long time.</p><p>                “Do you ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Think you’ll get married ?” he asked.</p><p>                “No,” she corrected. “Think <strong><em>you’ll</em></strong> remarry ?”</p><p>                Tim laughed at the question and shook his head.</p><p>                “I have way more important things I could be focusing on than dating and getting married again,” Tim claimed. “I’ve realized that I have more time for my work, and more time for my family, that I didn’t have before. When you marry, you have to give up a lot of that, even in a good marriage.”</p><p>                “What makes you think that ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Well, when you’re married, you have two families to balance and sometimes that means spending less time with your own, so you can spend a lot of time with the other,” he explained. “I spent my entire life with you, and the Barnabys, and a good part of my life with Nanny, Melanoff, and Ruth; so Queen’s family deserved a little time too, even if I didn’t feel the most welcome over there.”</p><p>                Jane knitted her eyebrows. Was she . . . slightly offended ? She shouldn’t have been. He has a point. Yet, still, she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling of ‘Why would you spend time with people that don’t like you ?’. Tim didn’t deserve to feel unwelcomed.</p><p>                “But, if you weren’t happy with Queen’s family . . .” Jane started. “Why did you stick around ?”</p><p>                “For Queen,” he answered. “I cared about her so much, that I put up with a lot to keep her happy.”</p><p>                He checked his phone, to see that he had thirty minutes to get back to the factory. Tim crumpled up his cheeseburger wrapper and waffle fries bag, before he tossed them into the Ham Bros. bag. He took Jane’s empty wrapper and threw them into the bag too.</p><p>                “Do you ever think you’ll be able to love someone that much again ?” she asked.</p><p>                He stood from the bench they sat at and placed his hand on her head. He gave her a smile, but he said nothing in return. Tim picked up the bag of crumpled wrappers.</p><p>                She swatted his hand away and continued to stare at him. She waited for an answer that she knew in her heart she was never going to get. She hated the mystery, but she understood. There were things Tim wanted to keep to himself, just as there were things she hated to talk about too.</p><p>                “I have to go, Jane,” he said. “See you back at home. I’m making Pad Thai for dinner.”</p><p>                “I hope your meeting goes well,” she dismissed. “I – I’ll see you at home.”</p><p>                The words felt weird off her tongue. Was she the one holding him back now ? Was there anything he would rather be doing ? Did he feel restricted due to the baby ? Due to Jane ?</p><p>                She turned to say something, but he already threw the bag in the trash can and got into his car. He wasn’t going to hear what she had to say. It would be better to not say anything anyways. She didn’t need to bother him with her feelings before his meeting, and she didn’t need to bother herself at her own.</p><p>                Jane walked back up the street to “The Little White Dress”, and entered the building, where Josephine helped another woman that was there to find a wedding dress, Willow was interviewing someone to take her position back in her office, Clementine listened as another woman attempted to haggle the price of one of the garters, the other accountant, Adelaide, helped another bride’s mother in her office, as they figured out the prices of the dress her daughter was buying, and Jane’s stocker, Olive, was putting up more veils in the showcase.</p><p>                “There’s a woman requesting you in the bridesmaid department, Jane,” Olive greeted. “If you need any help, I can get Josephine to help you after she’s done with her client.”</p><p>                “I got it,” Jane said. “Thank you, Olive.”</p><p>                Jane made her way to the staircase, where it took her up to the bridesmaid loft of the shop. The beautiful, white dresses were replaced with colorful, bright dresses of all hems and shapes. Jane turned the corner to see only Ruth, Patience, and Patience’s friend, Sabrina.</p><p>                “Jane !!” Patience exclaimed.</p><p>                “Hey Patience,” Jane greeted. “No mom or grandma this time ?”</p><p>                “Nnnope,” Patience answered. “Just me, these two ladies, and daddy’s credit card.”</p><p>                “That’s okay !!” Jane reassured. “We only need two bridesmaids to model dresses anyway, unless you have a curvier bridesmaid, then I’d suggest hopping into the dressing rooms too.”</p><p>                “Well, all my bridesmaids are skinny, little thangs,” Patience claimed. “Sabrina here could probably hula hoop in a Cherrio.”</p><p>                “I can prove to you that I cannot,” Sabrina deadpanned. “I still have bones.”</p><p>                “Well, what kind of dresses are we looking for ?” Jane asked. “Any specific colors, any specific styles ?”</p><p>                “Well, the colors are champagne and grey for the dresses, and I’m havin’ red bouquets,” Patience explained. “I was thinking somethin’ long, but sleeveless, because the weddin’s in April, so we could cover them legs up, but not make everyone too hot to enjoy the darn weddin’.”</p><p>                “Do we want something flowy or something form fitting ?” Jane inquired.</p><p>                “We’re dancin’, Jane !!” Patience exclaimed. “I want somethin’ we can move in !!”</p><p>                “Flowy it is,” Jane confirmed. “Why don’t you go look for some things you like, while Sabrina and Ruth check for some dresses they can show you ?”</p><p>                “You got it,” Patience agreed. “Let’s go, girls !!”</p><p>                Patience sprung off the couch and disappeared into the sea of bridesmaid dresses.</p><p>                Jane sighed at the thought. Patience’s indecisiveness and more dresses than a young girl could ever dream of wearing was probably not a great unsupervised combination. All she could hope for is that Patience didn’t come back with every dress in her arms and began to contemplate whether or not her vision would work.</p><p>                Jane left to go and pick out a few dresses that she hoped would fit Patience’s first vision, before Ruth tugged on the back of Jane’s dress.</p><p>                “You still didn’t text mom or dad,” Ruth said. “What have you been doing all this time that you didn’t have time to text them for ?”</p><p>                “Look Ruth, work is super busy right now. It takes a lot to run a business; dad could tell you that,” Jane lied. “One of my workers has to leave soon because of family issues, and we have to look for someone to take her place.”</p><p>                “You could hire Clementine to be an accountant,” Ruth claimed. “Clementine told me that she wants Willow’s position, but you haven’t even talked to her about it.”</p><p>                Jane thought for a moment. Clementine was great with numbers and mathematics, but the main thing that deterred her from the cashier was that this was Clementine’s first job. The kid just graduated high school a few months ago, and Jane didn’t want to put that much pressure on a kid. Jane looked up from Ruth before she saw that Sabrina was looking at a pitch black body – con dress.</p><p>                “Maybe you should go and help point your partner in the right direction,” Jane suggested. “We wouldn’t want to have her go too far out of Patience’s comfort zone.”</p><p>                Ruth groaned before she headed to Sabrina and took the dress from her hands. She pointed Sabrina to the way of the grey dresses, and led her that way.</p><p>                Jane went to her champagne colored dresses and squinted at them. It was her least favorite color for bridesmaid dresses. Champagne was boring, bland, and might as well be called ‘expensive light beige’. The only thing to bring character outside of ‘mediocre’ was to have bling on the dresses. With the knowledge that Patience was a pageant girl growing up, Jane knew Patience would understand the importance of bling.</p><p>                She began to flip through the hangers, past the plain silk dresses she despised, with a small bit of hope that she would find something in her brain that would go off and shout ‘<strong><em>Sparkle</em></strong> <strong><em>Stuff</em></strong> !!’. She pulled out a long, chiffon, illusion skirt dress with glitter and beading throughout the outermost layer of the skirt, along with a one shoulder, lace bodice, pearl belted gown. Jane picked her head up as she heard the small clicks of kitten heels.</p><p>                She looked to her side to see Patience, with a few dresses in her hands.</p><p>                “We can always order those in other colors,” Jane reassured. “Did you change your mind about the style ?”</p><p>                “Well, uhm . . . no, but . . .” Patience said. “There’s somethin’ I wanted to ask ya’.”</p><p>                “Anything you need,” Jane affirmed. “If you have any dress questions or anything else you wanted to pick up while you’re here –“</p><p>                “No, no, it’s not about the dresses !!” Patience exclaimed. “You’re still coming to my weddin’, right ?”</p><p>                Patience looked to Jane with big, pleading, puppy eyes, which Jane was thankfully incredibly immune to.</p><p>                “Yeah,” Jane answered, with reasonable unease. “I’m pretty sure going.”</p><p>                Jane’s due date was April Twenty – Eighth, so as long as Patience didn’t plan on getting married on that day, or two days afterwards, there would’ve been no reason she shouldn’t be able to attend.</p><p>                “When is your wedding ? Do you have a date yet ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “April Twenty – Fourth,” Patience said. “It’s a Friday, but I didn’t know if you’d have any business trips or anything goin’ on that you wouldn’t be able to go.”</p><p>                “I wouldn’t miss the wedding for the world,” Jane comforted. “Besides, A. would be commenting ‘Crash and die’ on all of my Pictogram travel posts instead of B.’s if I didn’t show up.”</p><p>                “I can’t believe he’s still all upset over that trip B. took in high school,” Patience laughed. “That man is a mess sometimes.”</p><p>                “I doubt he’s actually mad anymore,” Jane claimed. “I think he’s amping it all up for the drama; you know how he is sometimes.”</p><p>                “I told him that maybe he should be the one in the dress if he wanted all the attention on him,” Patience joked. “He said that he’d let me have my glory moment.”</p><p>                “Good,” Jane said. “You deserve it. All we can hope for is that he doesn’t act like an ass during the ceremony or reception.”</p><p>                “I hope he gets all his sillies out at the bachelor party,” Patience agreed. “B. said he’s got somethin’ spectacular planned for the bachelor party.”</p><p>                “B.’s version of ‘spectacular’ is going to eat at Tasty Tortellini’s and going back home to watch scary movies,” Jane claimed. “Hopefully he really pulls through this time. It’s A.’s bachelor party, after all. He’s only going to have one, so he has to make the best of it.”</p><p>                Patience giggled at the notion, before she sighed.</p><p>                “Well, uhm, you see, Jane,” she started to sputter. “I was wonderin’, since you said you were gonna be there at the weddin’ anyway, uhm, you wouldn’t find it a big deal to kinda . . . uhm . . . be my, oh gosh, my uhm, my maid of honor ?”</p><p>                The request instantly shot chills through Jane’s entire body. Every hair on her body seemed to vibrate at the words ‘maid of honor’, but more severely at the idea of being in the wedding, that close to her due date. Patience wouldn’t want Jane in the party, she would ruin the fun. Bachelorette parties involve a lot of fun that Jane couldn’t partake in. On top of that, she would look like a beached whale when she stood next to Sabrina and Ruth.</p><p>                “Patience, I – shit . . .” Jane muttered to herself.</p><p>                “Do you not want to be a bridesmaid ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                Patience’s voice was pouty, as if she were hurt by Jane’s reaction, but to be fair, Jane didn’t outright say ‘yes’, like she should’ve.</p><p>                “No !! I mean, yes !!” Jane panicked. “Of course I do, but there’s just –“</p><p>                “I – Is it a lot to ask ?” Patience asked. “I know you’re a busy woman, I could always ask my brother’s new fiancée to be in the party. Thing is, I wouldn’t want a fuddy – duddy like her to be makin’ the party all sad.”</p><p>                “No, Patience, it’s not that,” Jane explained. “You should . . . come with me to the bathroom. I have something important that I need to tell you.”</p><p>                “What do we do with the dresses ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “Just take them with us,” Jane said. “We just had a housekeeper deep clean the bathrooms this weekend.”</p><p>                Jane led Patience into the women’s bathroom. There was absolutely no chance they would be heard by Ruth and Sabrina, as the bathroom was a one person only toilet. Jane’s heart fluttered. She didn’t want to disappoint Patience, or A., but this was something that Patience absolutely needed to know before she seriously considered having Jane in the wedding. Jane would cramp everyone’s style, and maybe Patience’s sister – in – law might be a better pick.</p><p>                “I’m . . .” Jane started.</p><p>                Jane couldn’t seem to find the words, no matter how far down she fished for them. It was like they weren’t even there, like there were no words. Jane had the words right in front of her face, but it was likes she couldn’t slap Patience upside her chubby cheeks with them.</p><p>                Jane simply sighed and turned to her side, before she clung her dress to her body, to reveal the tiniest baby bump she had developed. Jane rubbed her stomach to emphasize her point.</p><p>                Patience took a few minutes before her face lit up in realization. Her expression wasn’t angry, it wasn’t sad, or even shocked. She simply stared at Jane with her eyebrows raised.</p><p>                “I’m sorry.”</p><p>                “W – Well . . . how pregnant will you be at the wedding ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “Your wedding is only four days before my due date,” Jane said. “I’m sorry if you don’t want me in the party.”</p><p>                “Why do you think I don’t want you in the party ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “I’m going to be a freaking blimp,” Jane explained. “I mean, next to Sabrina and Ruth –“</p><p>                “Do you really think I care about that ?” Patience argued. “Jane, I want you to be my maid of honor because I love you to little pieces, girl !! It’s not because of your weight, or the way you look !! If you’re almost a week away from poppin’, you still have time to go up the aisle !!”</p><p>                Jane didn’t say anything, but Patience squeezed her into a big, marshmallowy hug. Jane struggled out of the hug. She wasn’t the most accepting towards anyone but Tim when it came to hugs or affection, but it wasn’t anything against Patience. Hugs were simply an unfamiliar territory for her.</p><p>                Patience let go of Jane and fanned herself off.</p><p>                “I’m sorry, I know you’re not a hugger,” Patience apologized. “But, sweetheart, don’t think that havin’ a baby is going to interfere with our weddin’. We want you to be there, and if that means we gotta get married in the hospital chapel, while you’re gettin’ induced at the altar, than so be it.”</p><p>                “So, you’re okay with me, rocking a fetus fanny pack at the wedding ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “And the bachelorette party !!” Patience exclaimed. “Don’t think you’re wormin’ your way out of that, momma !!”</p><p>                Jane laughed and picked up the dresses Patience dropped on the ground.</p><p>                “Okay,” Jane said. “I won’t.”</p><p>                “So, how long have you had a little guy in you ?” Patience asked. “Is it Troy’s ? Oh my lord, don’t tell me that it’s . . .”</p><p>                Jane clicked her tongue and scoffed at the insinuation of Patience’s.</p><p>                “It’s not Troy’s,” she said. “And Tim didn’t do this, if that’s what you’re trying not to say.”</p><p>                Patience swiped her arm across her forehead, and gave a breathy sigh of relief.</p><p>                “Well, then who’s is it then ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “I did in – vitro,” Jane explained. “Tim’s going to help out, so he’s kind of the dad in some sense, but not in <strong><em>that</em></strong> sense. Anyway, we should go out and get Sabrina and Ruth. I have one more dress I need to grab.”</p><p>                “You’re right,” Patience agreed. “I wouldn’t want to give them too much free time and they’d redesign my entire wedding.”</p><p>                Not like Patience didn’t do that a million times already.</p><p>                Both women exited the bathroom to see Sabrina and Ruth already sitting on the couch with one dress in their laps that they picked.</p><p>                “Would you two like do go and try on your picks ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Where are the dressing rooms ?” Sabrina asked.</p><p>                “They’re behind the mirror,” Ruth instructed. “Just come with me.”</p><p>                Ruth showed Sabrina the little hallway to the dressing rooms while Jane put hers and Patience’s picks on the rack. Jane turned the corner to head back into the champagne dress section, where she flipped through a few dresses to find one she had on her mind. It was a long chiffon skirt, with a beaded bust, sweetheart neckline, and off the shoulder straps. The best, and most beneficial part in Jane’s case, was that it was cinched just under the bust, so she would have plenty of space in the dress when the wedding came along.</p><p>                Jane came back and racked her last dress, before she came back to see a dissatisfied Ruth, with her arms crossed, and Sabrina, oddly smiling as she watched Ruth.</p><p>                “I think she’s playing a prank on me,” Ruth pointed out. “And I don’t like it.”</p><p>                To be fair, it was quite literally the ugliest grey dress Jane had in the shop, but Jane held back some giggles as she saw Ruth in the disgusting dress.</p><p>                “Ruth is in a –“ Jane stopped to snort. “Ruth is in a grey dupioni dress, with an accordion neckline, and roushing across the bodice.”</p><p>                “Sabrina is in a grey jersey dress, with a scoop neckline, and interchangeable fabric belt.”</p><p>                “I’m gonna be completely honest here,” Patience started. ”I’m not a fan of either of them. Ruth’s is uglier than homemade sin, and I don’t really like the neckline of Sabrina’s.”</p><p>                “Well, we can always try on your picks for them,” Jane reassured. “Do you want to send these back ?”</p><p>                “And burn Ruth’s,” Patience said. “I can’t see anyone who would torture their bridesmaids like that.”</p><p>                “You got it,” Jane confirmed.</p><p>                She handed Ruth and Sabrina the dresses that Patience had picked, before the two girls disappeared to the back.</p><p>                “I mean it, Jane,” Patience said. “That dress is the ugliest little thang I’ve ever seen.”</p><p>                “I don’t even know why we have it in the shop,” Jane agreed. “It’s so outdated, like, the seventies called, they want their disgusting bridesmaid dress.”</p><p>                Patience laughed at Jane’s joke as the girls walked out in Patience’s picks.</p><p>                “These are better,” Ruth claimed. “At least I don’t look like the most annoying instrument in an Oompah band.”</p><p>                Jane nodded and covered her smile with her hand before turning to face Patience and introduce the next two dresses.</p><p>                “Ruth is now wearing a simple green Mikado dress, with a blinged belt, and Sabrina is now in a strapless, orange Faille dress, with a tulip skirt and bling across the neckline.”</p><p>                Sabrina stuffed her hands inside the skirt of her dress and swung her hips from side to side.</p><p>                “It has pockets,” Sabrina noted. “I could have my vape pen in one while my phone and wallet are in the other.”</p><p>                “We’re not getting’ a dress so you can vape at the weddin’ !!” Patience scolded. “My granddaddy’s gonna be there !!”</p><p>                “Well, what do you think ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “I think I lost my dress pickin’ spark,” Patience claimed. “My momma would be so upset with me if she knew I chose those ones for the weddin’.”</p><p>                “I think we might have the dresses that you’re looking for,” Jane said.</p><p>                She picked up two of her own three picks and handed them to Sabrina and Ruth.</p><p>                “Man, it’s been so long since I’ve done a pageant,” Patience reminisced. “I guess I don’t know what looks good anymore.”</p><p>                “The thing about dresses is that you never know how good they look until they’re off the hanger,” Jane reassured. “Sometimes a pretty dress is in hiding.”</p><p>                Both girls came out wearing the dresses Jane had given them, and if it were in Jane’s opinion, they were the best dresses of them all.</p><p>                Jane gave a beaming smile to Patience as she held out her own hands to show off the dress choices to Patience.</p><p>                “Ruth is wearing a long, chiffon, illusion skirt dress with glitter and beading throughout the outermost layer of the skirt, and Sabrina is modeling a one shoulder, lace bodice, pearl belted gown; both in champagne, but remember, if there needs to be a color change, we can order it in the color you would like.”</p><p>                “I love Ruth’s !!” Patience exclaimed. “I could already see it in grey, and how much the beading and glitter would stand out.”</p><p>                “Finally, I get a win today,” Ruth sighed. “Beat that, Sabrina.”</p><p>                Sabrina simply shrugged off Ruth’s teenage insecurity.</p><p>                “But, I think I would like to see Jane in the one on the rack,” Patience said.</p><p>                “But I’m on the clock,” Jane excused.</p><p>                “What’s gonna happen ?” Patience asked. “You own the place, it’s not like Josephine is going to come up here and fire you from your own store.”</p><p>                Jane contemplated what Patience said for a moment. Jane could definitely try on the dress, there wasn’t anything truly stopping her. It was her shop, and a quick five minute change wasn’t going to hurt anyone. Jane took the dress of the hanger, before she secretly scowled at the color and to took it into the back, where she shut herself into the dressing room.</p><p>                She stripped out of her current dress and swapped her loose fitting, black dress for the expensive light beige beaded gown. Jane adjusted the straps and her bust to fit in the mirror, before she turned to the side and clung the dress to her body. Jane closed her eyes and daydreamt for a moment, and she attempted to envision how she would look at nine months pregnant in it. The fabric was soft, and felt like pajamas, the skirt had so much room for her belly, and enough room for her to dance if she was able to.</p><p>                Would she be able to dance ?</p><p>                Would heels be too tight at that point ?</p><p>                Would she have to wear sheepskin boots under the dress ?</p><p>                Would she have to bring tennis shoes or flats ?</p><p>                Jane’s fingers clutched at the fabric as she opened her eyes. She thought about the hair – do she was going to have, and debated if she should wear it up or down. Maybe Patience already had an idea of what the bridesmaids were going to look like.</p><p>                Jane lifted the skirt of the dress to allow her to walk to the pedestal and show off the dress.</p><p>                “That thing is going to fly everywhere when you walk !!” Ruth exclaimed. “Just don’t lift your legs too high when you dance, or that skirt’s going to be on your head.”</p><p>                “They’re having a koi pond at the reception,” Sabrina noted. “If you think you might trip, stay away from it. They’re getting kois imported from Japan, so they’re expensive fish.”</p><p>                “You don’t gotta go and tell her that !!” Patience exclaimed. “I don’t need everyone to know how much it costs or else my weddin’ will lose the magic !!”</p><p>                They were all silent as Jane continued to inspect herself in the mirror.</p><p>                “So, whattya’ think, Jane ?” Patience asked. “Do ya’ like it ?”</p><p>                “Do you like it ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Do you feel ‘maid of honor’ – y in it ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “It’s not really my color,” Jane pointed out. “But yeah, I do feel pretty ‘maid of honor’ – y in it.”</p><p>                “More than Tim and Queen’s wedding ?” Ruth pressed.</p><p>                “Oh please,” Jane scoffed. “I would’ve felt more like a maid of honor in a trash bag at that wedding.”</p><p>                “Is it comfortable ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “It feels like pajamas,” Jane stated. “Hot, formal pajamas.”</p><p>                “Do you like it ?” Patience repeated.</p><p>                “I guess I do, for what it’s worth.”</p><p>                “Then I <strong><em>love</em></strong> it !!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Solitude</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℕ𝕚𝕟𝕖 :</p><p>𝕊𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕦𝕕𝕖</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                Jane had finally come home from work. She wanted to talk to Tim as soon as she got home, and tell him all about her day. She also wanted to see how his meeting went. She took her keys out and unlocked her door, before she walked inside. There wasn’t anything that came from the T.V speakers, and there was no smell of food cooking. He must not have been home yet. That was okay, she could deal with the solitude, as long as he wasn’t gone for hours.</p><p>                She put her purse down in the table, before she headed to her room and changed in her pajamas. Jane inspected her small bump in the mirror after she changed, and rubbed her hand along her stomach. She didn’t feel anything quite yet; no kicks, no hiccups, all she felt was bloated and tired, but that could also be due to work.</p><p>                “Hm,” she simply hummed.</p><p>                Jane walked out into the kitchen, as she felt the desire to have a sweet, quick snack. She opened the fridge to see that she had stashed a chocolate bar into the top shelf. Her ears turned attention to her neighbor’s apartment, where there sounded like there was shouting between her neighbor and two other guys. She didn’t pay much mind to it.</p><p>                Maybe the sound of trash T.V would cover whatever drunken spat they were having. It really wasn’t anything new. The guy was up to his eyebrows in debt, with some really shady people. It was probably some people he owed money to, but luckily Jane had seen eviction notices plastered to his door for the past month. If anything, the landlord would kick him out within a few weeks and it would be some much needed peace and quiet.</p><p>                It was something Jane definitely needed. She had gotten up to pee about four times last night and could barely manage to get comfortable, even after using a pillow to support her back.</p><p>                She took the chocolate bar out of the fridge and went to turn on the reality T.V channel, where another episode of ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’ had started. The confessional camera was on Heather Jacobson, the teenager that was pregnant. Mascara ran down the teenager’s face as she sobbed in the confessional.</p><p>                “We might have to cancel my debutant ball !!” the teenager cried. “Momma said that I was a dirty pig for sleeping with Kolby Nottafork on prom night, but the guy is captain of the football team !! He’s hot !! Momma just doesn’t get it, he loves me !!”</p><p>                Jane sighed as she peeled back the wrapper, she shook her head at the hysterical teenager’s tantrum.</p><p>                “Give me a break,” Jane said. “You did that to yourself, Heather.”</p><p>                Jane turned up the T.V as the argument in the other apartment grew louder. She was right. Her neighbor didn’t pay his debt, and someone finally got angry with him. He had it coming.</p><p>                Her eyes stayed focused on the T.V, and she watched as Heather got ridiculed by her mom, and incredibly religious pastor dad. Jane cringed at the thought of Tim and herself having to lecture their kid on irresponsibility. She hated the thought of her baby becoming a teenage mother, or them getting a girl pregnant when they were so young. She barely even wanted to be pregnant as a twenty – six year old woman, much less a fifteen year old. She barely even liked boys at fifteen – she barely liked guys now. The guy she was closest to in her life currently was Tim, and he’s her brother, so that didn’t count.</p><p>                Jane jumped at the sound of things knocking over in the other apartment. Smokey ran out of Tim’s room and stood alert at the front door, his big orange eyes and slitted pupils didn’t leave the door. Jane got up from the couch and walked to the front door to pick up the cat. She cradled him like a baby and hushed him, like she would a crying infant.</p><p>                “It’s okay, old man,” she cooed. “It’s on the other side, it’s not going to bother you.”</p><p>                Jane carried him to the couch with her and allowed for Smokey to wrap his paws around her stomach and lay on top of her. He had been doing that a lot lately, as if he wanted to protect the unborn baby inside of Jane from any harm on the outside. She scratched the top of the cat’s head before she shimmied her fingers down his fat back, to soothe him.</p><p>                “See, Smokes,” she reassured. “Nothing’s going on.”</p><p>                The cat seemed to calm down on her stomach, his tail idly swayed as he rested his head against Jane’s stomach. It was as if he enjoyed watching the gossipy, brain rotting reality shows that Jane binged in private.</p><p>                Jane focused her attention back on the T.V, as she mindlessly continued to pet down the cat’s back.</p><p>                It became hard to focus as the noises from the other apartment grew louder, and Smokey’s nails came out from under the sheaths of his paws. They didn’t dig deep enough into Jane to draw blood, but it was enough to let her know that he was still nervous. She held the poor animal close, as she began to feel the worry bubble inside herself. She couldn’t quite hear anything they said on the other side, as the wall muffled the sounds.</p><p>                First, it was a loud bang, much like a firecracker’s. There was no way that it could’ve been a firecracker, because nobody would bring a bundle of fireworks to a stickup. That was too silly, and far too much of a fantasy. This wasn’t a fantasy land of building a dirigible out of candy and candy wrappers, or songs to melt hypothermia. The magic of the past was all gone, because it was the real world now.</p><p>                Then they yelled some more, which caused for Jane to recluse in her blanket. Smokey clung to her torso, his fur stood on end, which made him look twice as big as he actually was. A rumbling growl resonated from his body as he looked in the direction of the next - door apartment. Jane was no longer focused on the sassy housewives on the T.V, that didn’t matter right now.</p><p>                Then another bang, but this time the noise finally registered in Jane’s mind as a hole was made in the wall of her own apartment.</p><p>                A gunshot.</p><p>                Her heart was pounding in her chest to the point where she could feel it in her head. She grabbed her cat, before she ducked and ran to her purse to grab her phone. It didn’t matter what Tim was doing, she needed him there right then and there. She unlocked her phone as she went and hid under her bed for comfort.</p><p>                Smokey stayed close to her, not leaving her bump. It was if the alley cat that once walked the streets of New York City alone needed to be protected too.</p><p>                The space was small and uncomfortable. It was dark and the two had to fit like puzzle pieces in the world’s worst puzzle as they had to fit behind Jane’s boxes of old pictures, and summer’s stock of sandals. The only light that she could have on in the room was her phone.</p><p>                She dialed nine – one – one, before she held the phone to her ear.</p><p>                She couldn’t fight back the tears that rushed down her face in fear that her apartment would be next, in fear that they would break in to kill any potential witness. Her hand was on her stomach and the cat covered her hand with his fat tummy, and he kneeded his paw into her forearm. The rhythm of his paw was a thing Jane could focus on to try and stay calm enough to not be hysterical.</p><p>                “Nine – one – one, what’s your emergency.”</p><p>                Her voice wavered as she attempted to speak.</p><p>                “Ma’am, are you alright ?”</p><p>                “I – I . . .” she whimpered. “There’s a shooting in my building, right next door.”</p><p>                “What is the address ?”</p><p>                Jane heard another gunshot before she yelped and let off a sob. Her fingers were quivering with palsy and her skin had heated to a near boiling point. She could barely see the screen in front of her through the tears that filled her eyes and smudged her glasses.</p><p>                “Ma’am ?”</p><p>                “Three – Nine – Oh – Seven, Eighth Street, Apartment four hundred and nine,” Jane responded. “Please, hurry . . . please.”</p><p>                “The police and hospital have been contacted and they’re on their way,” the dispatcher reassured. “Do you need someone to stay on the line with you until they arrive ?”</p><p>                “No, just hurry !!” Jane shouted.</p><p>                She hung up before more shouting and gunshots filled the sound of the house. Jane clutched her phone to her head and curled up for cover. She felt claws in her shirt, where Smokey clung for security. She took off her glasses and put them next to her before she rubbed her eyes dry for a moment, so she could call Tim.</p><p>                He needed to be there right now.</p><p>                She needed him there right now.</p><p>                The phone rang out it’s busy tone for what seemed like forever, before she was greeted with his voicemail.</p><p>                “This is Tim Willoughby, I’m not able to answer the phone right now, so if you have anything to say, leave it in my voicemails, and I’ll get back to you soon.”</p><p>                The tone for his voicemail rang, and Jane felt herself cry again. She sniffed and tried to push words out of her mouth, but could only manage a few small, short words.</p><p>                “Tim, help, the house, there’s gunshots.”</p><p>                She sniffled and continued to cry as she dialed him again. Jane pressed her phone to her face, as if to block out the noise. She plugged her other ear with her finger. She heard her own heartbeat as the busy tone rang again. Once again, she was greeted by his voicemail message. What could he possibly be doing that was this important ? It was almost seven o’clock at night, he should’ve been off of work by now.</p><p>                “Tim, hurry, I need you . . .”</p><p>                Her breaths were weighted and shuttered, she felt as if her bed was closing in on her, as if it were an inescapable prison, and she would be doomed if someone broke into her apartment next. She had her fingers crossed that the police would get here long before any of that happened. A loud thud sounded from the other apartment, and then two unfamiliar voices argued with eachother. One sentence in particular struck an instant panic in her.</p><p>                “You weren’t supposed to kill him.”</p><p>                She squeezed the cat as close as she could to herself, her nails dug into his flesh just as his did to her. The pain didn’t bother her, she was more worried about what they were going to do next. She heard things crash and bang in the next room before she saw faint flashing red and blue lights in the window. Jane’s heart thumped so fast. It was a matter of time before the police were there, or the people next door broke into someone else’s apartment.</p><p>                She dialed Tim’s number again. She panted from sheer dread alone. Her entire body felt as if it was falling to shambles, and the only thing that kept her from falling into complete hysteria was Smokey’s presence. The god forsaken voicemail played again and she felt herself begin to sob. Jane finally broke down, and couldn’t bother to try and explain as the voicemail recorded her. Her phone fell out of her hand and she squeezed Smokey to her body, as he purred and attempted to soothe her.</p><p>                His paws were wrapped around her head, as she wailed into his fat tummy. His tail laid over her neck, as if he allowed himself to be her pillow. It wasn’t the first time he had to comfort her, and even he, as a cat, had a feeling that it wouldn’t be the last.</p><p>                She lifted her head slightly, as she heard footsteps stomp down the hallway, before the sound of a door being busted open had echoed through the entire hallway. There was more shouts, but with what they said, Jane determined that the new people were police. She felt relief as she squeezed Smokey to her chest and pet down his back, and she said nothing. She heard a fist pound on the front door.</p><p>                It wasn’t Tim, he had a key to the house.</p><p>                Jane wiggled out from under the bed and never put Smokey back down. She cradled him under her neck as she went to the door. Jane looked into the peephole, to see a few paramedics wheeling by with a stretcher, and a man in a police uniform</p><p>                Her body still trembled as she unlocked the door, to allow the officer to enter the apartment.</p><p>                She opened the door and looked up at him, before she allowed for him to step inside.</p><p>                “Hello, I’m Deputy Chief Randall Wolfe,” he greeted. “Were you the one to phone nine – one – one ?”</p><p>                She nodded.</p><p>                “Do you mind if we get a report from you ?” he asked. “I understand if you’re shaken by the whole situation.”</p><p>                She shook her head before she sat at the dining room table.</p><p>                “May I have your name, please ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Jane Willoughby,” she answered.</p><p>                She could barely find it in herself to answer a lot of the questions, but she knew she had to. It wasn’t like she was going to be able to avoid answering questions, because if her neighbor passed away, and someone pressed charges, she might have to answer in court anyways.</p><p>                “Okay, Miss Willoughby,” he started. “When did this start taking place ?”</p><p>                Her mind was fried. When did this all happen ? She looked at the clock on her stove, but she couldn’t see without her glasses on. The information couldn’t add up in her mind.</p><p>                “Miss Willoughby ?”</p><p>                “I’m . . . sorry . . .” she said. “Pregnancy brain.”</p><p>                The deputy laughed as he sat down at the dining room table.</p><p>                “I understand,” he said. “My wife’s pregnant too. Take your time.”</p><p>                She didn’t care what he said. Jane just wanted to figure it all out so she could get it over with. She got home at five thirty, she changed in about ten minutes, before she sat on the couch and got through the first fifteen minutes of ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’.</p><p>                “About six – oh – five,” she answered. “That’s when I first started to hear things break in the other room.”</p><p>                “Did you see anything out of the ordinary ?” he asked.</p><p>                “No, all I heard was someone break into the apartment next door,” she answered. “I was waiting for my brother to come home, and I was watching T.V.”</p><p>                “Did you hear anything that stuck out during the argument ?” he asked.</p><p>                She attempted to think back, but her brain felt like a scratched C.D, that was skipping over parts. Her mind was a jumbled up word search with words that seemed impossible to find.</p><p>                She just wanted Tim.</p><p>                “My neighbor has been in debt for a long time now,” she answered. “He took loans from some shifty people, and I think those two guys in the other room came to collect money that he didn’t have.”</p><p>                “You’re sure you heard two guys ?” he asked. “Is there anything that stuck out about their voices ? Did they have any accents or noticeable speech impediments ?”</p><p>                “One of them seemed to have a lisp,” Jane claimed. “The other guy sounded Hispanic.”</p><p>                “Hispanic as in ?” Deputy Wolfe asked.</p><p>                “Cuban ? He could’ve been Puerto Rican,” Jane answered. “I’m not sure, I’m not the best with accents.”</p><p>                “Mind if I search your house really fast ?” he asked. “I saw a few bullet holes in your wall, I want to check to see if I can find any bullets that we can use as evidence.”</p><p>                “Whatever you have to do,” Jane said.</p><p>                “I’m sorry for bothering you at this hour of the night, Miss Willoughby,” he apologized. “I promise I’ll be out of your hair after all of this.”</p><p>                “Do you have a radio ?” she asked. “My brother might be outside . . . he lives here.”</p><p>                At was like cosmic fate as the radio hissed static and someone began to talk over the radio.</p><p>                “Deputy Wolfe, there’s been a breech of protocol, a man made his way through the tape and into the building.”</p><p>                “What does he look like ?” Deputy Wolfe asked.</p><p>                “Incredibly tall, almost six nine ? Slim, no facial hair. Kind of looks like a walking telephone pole.”</p><p>                The description was incredibly familiar. There was one guy in the building that she knew that looked like that, and that jolly slim, giant was Tim.</p><p>                “That’s my brother,” Jane answered.</p><p>                “Let him up, he lives in the apartment next to the crime scene, he has a pretty shaken up family member he needs to see.”</p><p>                “Are you sure ?”</p><p>                “I’m the one in charge since Sheriff Cole isn’t here,” Deputy Wolfe stated. “I said to let him up.”</p><p>                “You got it, boss.”</p><p>                Jane went to open the door, so Tim didn’t have to get his keys out. She saw the two suspect be carried out by their handcuffs and the sight of their faces caused Jane’s skin to pimple with goosebumps. They looked like two ordinary guys, maybe the city wasn’t the dream that Jane imagined. She might be able to stay out of trouble, but what about the baby ?</p><p>                What about <strong><em>Tim</em></strong> ?</p><p>                Tim is a great guy, but once he’s on a bender, it’s as different as night and day. It was as big of a difference as Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde. He didn’t think, he didn’t care who he hurt, or who was in debt or danger, as long as he was getting his fix.</p><p>                She was thankful that he decided to get sober, and that he had maintained sobriety for the past five years. She finally had her brother back completely, and she wouldn’t change it for the world.</p><p>                He looked a lot better now. The past month he actually looked . . . happy. It wasn’t a fake happiness he had at movie nights with Queen, or when they all lived at home with Nanny, Ruth, and Melanoff. It was a true happiness.</p><p>                The thing she had to help him with, now that he was living in a place with more opportunity to relapse, was staying that way. She couldn’t lose Tim as soon as she got him back.</p><p>                She looked down the hallway to see him as he bolted down the hallway with his gangly limbs and shopping bags in tow. Jane smiled and gave a sigh of relief as he came closer. She put Smokey down and held out her arms for a hug, before she was scooped into a hug that pulled her off the floor. Normally she would flail in attempt to get out of such a gross hug, but right now, this was what she needed. She squeezed onto him as tight as he squeezed her.</p><p>                “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I should’ve been here.”</p><p>                “I’m okay,” she muttered back. “It’s not your fault.”</p><p>                “I went to get groceries, I should’ve texted you – I should’ve called you. I left my phone in the car. I’m sorry.”</p><p>                She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. She tilted her head to the side and gave him a comforting peck on the cheek. A kiss seemed to help calm him down last time he was nervous, and she couldn’t have him be so nervous right now.</p><p>                “Tim, it’s okay,” she soothed. “You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”</p><p>                “How . . . How’s the baby ?” he asked. “Is the baby okay ?”</p><p>                “I’m sure they’re fine,” she reassured. “We’re just glad you’re home.”</p><p>                He put Jane down and got down on his knees, before he put his hands around her bump. The grocery bags slid down his arms and knocked against his thighs. His expression was the biggest mix of nervousness and sorrow she had ever seen a person have. His touch was gentle, yet firm as he lightly touched his nose to her stomach.</p><p>                “I’m sorry, lima bean,” he apologized. “Poppa just went to the store, and I . . . I should’ve been here to protect you and momma.”</p><p>                “Oh jeez, Tim,” Jane sighed.</p><p>                She got down on her knees and pulled him into another hug. She scratched her nails into his scalp and clung to him. Her face was in his neck, and she took in the smell of mellow cologne, as well as the feel of his work shirt against her cheek. His breath was warm against her back. The feeling of his pulse in his neck was soothing, as if it were a steady drum beat.</p><p>                “Thank you for letting me search, Miss Willoughby,” the deputy said. “We’ll call back if we need to ask more of you.”</p><p>                She said nothing, but nodded as Deputy Wolfe walked out the door and shut it behind him.</p><p>                “You didn’t do anything wrong,” she soothed. “You know that, right ?”</p><p>                “If I had been here, we could’ve gotten out of here, and you wouldn’t of had to –“</p><p>                She pulled away and pressed a finger against his lips.</p><p>                “Stop worrying about it.”</p><p>                “I wanted to surprise you,” he said. “I got you some ice cream from the store, it’s probably melted by now but –“</p><p>                She let off a weak chuckle.</p><p>                “Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>                He put his hands on her bump and furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at her.</p><p>                “Are you . . . okay ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I didn’t get shot,” she responded.</p><p>                “But emotionally,” he asked. “Are you okay ?”</p><p>                “I’m . . . yeah.”</p><p>                “Are you sure ?”</p><p>                “I don’t really . . . want to talk about it,” she answered. “Can we just . . . cuddle ?”</p><p>                “That’s a first,” he said. “You hate cuddling.”</p><p>                “Don’t point it out,” she said. “I don’t want it to feel more weird than it already it.”</p><p>                Tim nodded.</p><p>                “Fine,” he sighed. “Where ?”</p><p>                “My room, on the bed,” she said.</p><p>                He got up and helped her up as well, before he put the groceries on the table and followed her into the room, where Smokey laid at the foot of the bed. His ears perked at the sight of Tim, and the cat stood and stretched to greet him with a meow.</p><p>                Tim scratched the cat behind the ear before he sat on the bed next to Jane and flipped his legs up after he took his shoes off.</p><p>                She wormed under his arm and rested her head on his chest, before her she wrapped her arms around his torso. Jane smiled at the sound of his heartbeat, and snuggled against him.</p><p>                “How was work today ?” she asked.</p><p>                “They loved your name,” he answered. “Minus that now he’s a gander, because male geese are ganders.”</p><p>                They were quiet as Tim put his arms around Jane, with one hand being on her head and the other on her upper back. His fingers ran through her long locks, and brushed out the small tangles she had.</p><p>                “Did you see all the designs ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “We saw a few,” he answered. “The penguin had a top hat and a cane.”</p><p>                Jane giggled at the thought of a dapper little penguin in a tiny top hat, and little, waddly flipper feet. It was funny how such a gentlemanly bird moved like such a goofball.</p><p>                “Dapper Dan, The Penguin Gentleman,” she joked.</p><p>                “Dan’s a one syllable name,” he teased.</p><p>                “But Dapper Dan is three syllables,” Jane pointed.</p><p>                “So his <strong><em>name</em></strong>, on his <strong><em>birth</em></strong> <strong><em>certificate</em></strong>, is <strong><em>Dapper</em></strong> Dan ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Why not ?” Jane asked. “It’s a <strong><em>fake</em></strong> penguin, for cosmos’ sake.”</p><p>                “I’ll propose the idea at our next meeting,” he claimed. “But the fact that his birth name is Dapper Dan is still weird.”</p><p>                “Tim, it’s not real,” she argued. “You could have a pheasant named Felipe that wore skinny jeans and pointe shoes and it wouldn’t matter, because they’re all virtual birds.”</p><p>                “Felipe the Funky Fresh Pheasant,” Tim stated. “Maybe I should bring you into the office and let you just go crazy in there.”</p><p>                “I still wouldn’t want to be around Melanoff,” she said. “Even if it’s for a business deal.”</p><p>                “Okay, okay,” Tim soothed. “Anyways, how was work for you ?”</p><p>                “Well, Patience came in and found her dresses,” Jane said. “But something crazy happened today.”</p><p>                “She changed her mind about wedding colors ?” Tim asked. “That’s not crazy, that’s predictable.”</p><p>                “Surprisingly she didn’t,” Jane responded. “But . . . I’m maid of honor now.”</p><p>                “You’re maid of honor ?” he asked. “Again ?”</p><p>                “I know, right ?” Jane said. “I think it’s because I already have prior experience than Ruth and Sabrina, that is, if Sabrina hasn’t been maid of honor at someone else’s wedding.”</p><p>                “Who’s Sabrina ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Oh, one of her other bridesmaids,” Jane explained. “I think she’s like, goth or something.”</p><p>                “Who’s goth as an adult ?” he asked. “I thought that was just a weird highschool phase.”</p><p>                “There’s a reason that goth bands exist,” Jane pointed out. “Some people never outgrow it, and they make it their identity.”</p><p>                “Would you consider yourself a goth ?” Tim asked. “You always wear black clothes, even in the summer.”</p><p>                “I’m not !!” Jane defended. “I’m what people call ‘business chic’.”</p><p>                “Even outside of business ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I live in the city,” Jane claimed. “I have to dress intimidating for people to take me seriously.”</p><p>                The looked at the three bullet holes in Jane’s bedroom wall. Neither of them said anything.</p><p>                “I don’t think it’s safe here,” Tim broke the silence. “I don’t think our little lima bean will be safe here, who knows what nutcase will move next door next, if that guy died. Who knows if we aren’t next ?”</p><p>                Jane was quiet. He was right. This was no place to raise a baby, and not even just for silly reasons like not having a backyard. It was too dangerous in the city, for everyone. Jane had to start thinking of herself, because now she was going to have a little one, who depended on her to make it home to tuck them in and read them bedtime stories every night. She was going to have a baby, that needed to be held, kissed, and needed lullabies to be sung to them at night ( And Tim’s singing voice wasn’t particularly . . . great ).</p><p>                She also thought of Tim, because if he was going to take over the dad role, he had to be safe too, and for obvious reasons, the city wasn’t a place he could be in long ( without causing trouble ).</p><p>                Everyone needed an environment they could grow in, without the need to worry about a relapse, being murdered, or being kidnapped.</p><p>                Tim took out his phone and opened an app called ‘New Nesting’, where a bunch of pictures of houses in the New York City area popped up.</p><p>                “What are you doing ?” she asked.</p><p>                “We need to get out of here,” he said. “We need to find a house as quick as possible, because we only have six months left before the baby gets here.”</p><p>                “I was thinking the same thing,” she admitted. “After tonight, <strong><em>I</em></strong> don’t even feel too safe here.”</p><p>                He didn’t rub it in, thankfully. Jane didn’t think she’d be able to take any teasing in this circumstance.</p><p>                “How many rooms are we looking for ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I think what we should really be focused on is a budget,” she recommended. “We can’t spend all this money on a house and depend on others to get us all the things we need for the baby.”</p><p>                Tim sighed before he tapped on the ‘Budget’ option.</p><p>                “Well, what’s our budget ?” he asked.</p><p>                “How much do we have in savings ?” she asked. “I have about six hundred thousand I could put towards a house.”</p><p>                “I have about five hundred thousand I have saved up for a trip Queen and I were going to take to the Bahamas,” Tim said. “So, added together we have a budget of one million and one hundred dollars.”</p><p>                While that may not sound like a problem, most of the suburban houses in good neighborhoods were about one million dollars. It would be incredibly lucky if they found a decent house in the area, with their budget.</p><p>                “What’s on our wishlist ?” Tim asked. “How many bedrooms and bathrooms ?”</p><p>                “I think the minimum amount we need is three bedrooms, two bathrooms,” Jane noted. “One room for you, one for me, and one for the baby.”</p><p>                “One of the bathroom needs a bath so we can give the baby baths,” Tim added. “We should also have a yard, front and back, for privacy.”</p><p>                “And big fences, so no creep can look over and see what we’re doing,” Jane agreed. “And we might need higher ceilings so you can fit inside comfortably.”</p><p>                “Maybe a vaulted ceiling,” Tim suggested. “And a big kitchen, so we don’t have to bump into eachother while we’re cooking.”</p><p>                “Maybe not a huge kitchen, because we don’t need an island,” Jane grounded. “But we need ample cabinet and refrigerator space, so we can have organic foods to feed the baby and have a place to store them.”</p><p>                “An office space would be nice,” Tim said. “Then we could have a room where we can work, without having to cram desks in our room.”</p><p>                “Tim, do we need an office space ?” Jane reminded.</p><p>                “I’m tired of having to work in my room !!” He defended. “I want to relax in there.”</p><p>                “What do we need that we could buy for the baby instead of an office space ?” she urged.</p><p>                Tim pouted at the thought of giving up something he wanted for the baby, but he still begrudgingly answered.</p><p>                “A crib.”</p><p>                “And the baby needs to sleep more than you need to be more comfortable working ?”</p><p>                “Yes . . .”</p><p>                “So, let’s stick to the things we need and look for houses with that,” she stated.</p><p>                Tim put in their options and a few options popped up on the screen. The first house was a ranch style, thirty – five minutes away from “The Little White Dress” but only ten minutes away from the Melanoff factory.”</p><p>                “This one comes with nearly three acres of land,” Tim said.</p><p>                “But the commute for me, and the baby once they’re old enough for school is nearly a fifty minute drive,” Jane said. “We need something a little closer to town.”</p><p>                The next house was a beautiful brown brick house, much like the one Tim used to live in with Queen. More coincidentally, it was on the same exact street that Tim used to live on.</p><p>                “The commute’s great,” Jane noticed. “And there’s a school two blocks away.”</p><p>                “It’s right across the street from my old house,” Tim said. “That means the Katsopolis family moved out . . . and I’d have to look across the street and see Queen everyday.”</p><p>                “Right,” Jane agreed. “That would be a little awkward.”</p><p>                “’A little’ is an understatement,” he said. “What about this one ?”</p><p>                It was a Victorian styled house, much like House Willoughby, but with a blush blue color palate. It looked straight out of a magazine, and was just fifty – thousand over their maximum budget. The commute was a great compromise between the two, and a school district was only down the street. It was far away from a busy street, and it had a beautiful fence with it, and was flush with healthy greenery.</p><p>                “They’re having an open house this weekend,” Tim said. “We should go, just to . . . check it out.”</p><p>                “Yeah, we can totally go and look,” Jane agreed. “But we’re just looking, right ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, yeah,” Tim agreed. “Just to look, mhm.”</p><p>                “Tim.”</p><p>                “We’ll just look, okay ?”</p><p>                “It’s on Rosevalle Avenue,” Jane noted.</p><p>                “Yeah, I’ll save it on my phone.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Extravagant Solstice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕖𝕟 :</p><p>𝔼𝕩𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕊𝕠𝕝𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕖</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                “Whoa, there are a lot of people here,” Jane commented.</p><p>                Tim pulled into the row of cars in front of the house before they both got out of the car and walked up the sidewalk and to the white picket fence.</p><p>                “But, if we end up wanting the house, we can always contact a real estate agent,” Tim reminded.</p><p>                “Tim, we’re just looking,” Jane reminded. “We don’t know if we are going to be able to get a property like this. Remember, this is a great neighborhood, and there’s a lot of people here. Some of these people already have kids.”</p><p>                “You could always exaggerate your waddle,” he said. “Maybe they might take pity on the poor pregnant woman.”</p><p>                “I don’t want people to pity me,” she claimed. “Besides, you can barely even tell that I’m pregnant, and I don’t want you running around, announcing it to complete strangers.”</p><p>                “C’mon, Jane,” Tim pouted. “It’s my baby too.”</p><p>                “It’s <strong><em>my</em></strong> body,” she argued. “The baby’s coming out of <strong><em>me</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “Fine, I’ll try to hold my tongue,” he sighed. “Even if we could use the baby card to get the house of our dreams.”</p><p>                “Your dreams,” she corrected. “I just want to get out of the apartment.”</p><p>                Tim opened the gate and let off a squeal as he stepped inside. He held it open for Jane before he positioned her in front of the house.</p><p>                This allowed for her to see the perfectly trimmed and clipped bushes, the grass that was green with life, dandelions that peeked from the sides of the concrete walkway, the baby blue paint that complimented the white accents of the house, the beautiful white door with intricate designs in the glass.</p><p>                “Look at it, Jane,” he said. “We could live like the Willoughbys of old.”</p><p>                “I already checked,” Jane started. “This house has a modern furnace, no coal bin.”</p><p>                “That’s even better !!” he exclaimed. “That means that nobody has to go in the coal bin.”</p><p>                “You better not have contemplated putting our baby in a coal bin if they misbehave !!” Jane exclaimed.</p><p>                “Wha – Why would you think I’d do that ?” he asked. “Being in one really messes people up in the head. You can’t breathe, it’s hot, it’s dirty, uncomfortable – I could go on forever.”</p><p>                “Luckily this place doesn’t have a basement either,” Jane noted. “They do have an attic though.”</p><p>                “We could use it as a storage space,” Tim claimed. “Or an office space.”</p><p>                “It’s not going to be air conditioned,” Jane reminded. “But if you think an attic that smells like mothballs and is as hot as an oven is a comfortable space to work in, then I’m not going to stop you.”</p><p>                “Wouldn’t be that much different than the office when the air conditioning is down,” he claimed.</p><p>                They finally walked inside the house, where a realtor stood beside a table.</p><p>                “Hi, welcome to the open house, I’m Yolanda Martinez, the realtor,” she greeted. “Please sign in, and if you have any questions or would like a grand tour, don’t hesitate to ask !!”</p><p>                Tim and Jane both signed in on the guest book and Tim went to greet the realtor. He held his hand out to the realtor for a handshake before he pulled Jane next to him. They both shook hands and gave eachother a smile.</p><p>                “Tim and Jane Willoughby,” he introduced. “We’d love to have a tour of the house.”</p><p>                “What a lovely couple,” the realtor complimented.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Whoa</em></strong>, <strong><em>whoa</em></strong>, <strong><em>whoa</em></strong>,” Jane instantly responded.</p><p>                Jane held up her left hand, as well as Tim’s, to show that they weren’t wearing rings, as if the exact hair color, and similar attributes weren’t enough.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Siblings</em></strong>,” Jane corrected.</p><p>                The realtor simply laughed it off and nodded.</p><p>                “I’m sorry about that, Miss Willoughby,” she apologized. “Sometimes couples start to look alike when they’re around eachother all the time; but if you’ll follow me down the foyer, you’re able to see the living room with a built in entertainment set, and to your left, you have the vaulted ceiling kitchen, complete with island and a two door refrigerator with a freezer drawer.”</p><p>                “You even have a farmhouse sink !!” Tim exclaimed. “We had a farmhouse sink in mine and Queen’s house, we got dishes done way faster.”</p><p>                The realtor lead them through the kitchen to a small, closed off dining room, with big windows that let in a lot of natural lighting. It showed the shiny wooden floors, and the small details in the ceiling boarders and floor boarders.</p><p>                “Look, Jane, there’s angels in the moulding,” Tim pointed out. “Don’t you think it adds character ?”</p><p>                “Is the light adjustable ?” Jane asked. “Or is it only one setting ?”</p><p>                “The lighting in the master bedroom, dining room, living room, and master bathroom are all adjustable,” the realtor clarified. “I know it’s not the most pleasant thing to come home after work, and be greeted with fluorescent lights, beaming in your face.”</p><p>                “Yeah, you get it,” Jane agreed. “Speaking of the master suite, what’s the bathroom like ?”</p><p>                “I can definitely show you the master suite,” the realtor reassured. “It’s been updated a lot – the whole house has been, but nobody wants to live like it’s the nineteen – tens anymore.”</p><p>                “But you have to admit that the chain flusher toilets are pretty cool,” Tim insisted.</p><p>                “Well, Mister Willoughby, you’ll love the powder room beneath the stairs,” the realtor commented. “It also has the moulding you love from the dining room, the entire house does.”</p><p>                They were lead up the stairs and they had to weave around a few other couples and families in the house to get to the master suite. Both siblings stood, wide eyed, jaws dropped, as they looked around the master bedroom.</p><p>                There was a platform with an empty slot where a bed was supposed to go, and built in sleek nightstands. Lights were in the bed – slot as if the room was a shadowboxed showcase. Beside the bed, there was enough room for an enormous faux fur rug and two matching closets. Then there was an entryway into the bathroom, which provided a look at the jack and jill sinks and enormous mirror, with creamy marble countertops.</p><p>                “Do you think a bunk bed would fit in that slot ?” Tim teased. “Then we cold both have this room.”</p><p>                “Oh please, this is my room,” Jane answered. “I’m the one that’s paying more.”</p><p>                “But, I’m going to be the man of the house,” he pointed out.</p><p>                “I’m a business owner of a relatively successful business, I’ve lived just fine by myself since I was out of highschool; you’re not the one in charge,” Jane argued. “I think I wear the pants in this house.”</p><p>                “She has a point,” the realtor argued. “Sounds like she’s the man of the house.”</p><p>                “But, I – “ Tim started.</p><p>                “Let’s check out my bathroom, Tim,” Jane interrupted. “I might let you use it sometimes.”</p><p>                The realtor entered the bathroom and allowed for Jane and Tim to venture into the room too. It was quite possibly the biggest bathroom both siblings had ever been in. There was a completely separate room for the toilet, a large jacuzzi bathtub made for a couple on one side, and a shower with both a waterfall head and interchangeable metal hose to get hard to reach spots like a person’s back.</p><p>                “Look, I’m way taller than you,” Tim said. “That waterfall shower was made for me.”</p><p>                “Well, if you put in more money, this room could be all yours,” Jane reminded. “But I’m paying more, so it’s mine.”</p><p>                “If you’d like, I can show you two the guest bathroom,” the realtor piped up. “It still has a lot of counter space and the shower still might be tall enough for you, even if it isn’t there’s still a hose showerhead you can use to shower with.”</p><p>                They left the dream master suite and went down the hallway, as they weaved through other people to get to the guest bathroom. It wasn’t as big as the master bathroom, but it was till a pretty good size. It even had a room for the toilet like the master suite, but the counter only had one sink, and the bathtub was a shower / bathtub combo. However, the realtor was right, the shower did have a detachable shower hose. That simply meant that Tim would have to hold a shower hose while he scrubbed his head free of soap.</p><p>                “At least there’s a bathtub in both bathrooms,” Tim noted. “That’s something on our wishlist.”</p><p>                “Is there anything else on your wislist that you’d like to know about ?” the realtor asked.</p><p>                “How’s the backyard ?” Tim asked. “Fenced in, barbeque ready ?”</p><p>                “You can go see for yourself,” the realtor said. “Cinderblock privacy walls, green Bermuda grass, built in sprinkler system, a small pond . . .”</p><p>                “Jane, we have to go and check it out,” He said. “There’s a pond in the backyard.”</p><p>                “Yes, Tim,” she said. “I heard her.”</p><p>                He grabbed her hand and left the realtor to talk to another family that had just arrived, as he lead her down the stairs and out the French doors that lead to the back porch to show the vast backyard with a green, stylized pond.</p><p>                “Look at how big it is,” Tim said. “Can’t you imagine, we could have a grill and a picnic table up here, for outdoor barbeques, and maybe we could have a playground for the baby, and garden, or even a hot tub.”</p><p>                “That would be pretty great,” she agreed. “Maybe if we stay in contact with Miss Martinez, maybe we could . . . look into this house.”</p><p>                “Yeah, maybe we could,” he said. “So, the suburbs aren’t so bad after all, huh, city girl ?”</p><p>                “Oh shut up,” she responded. “But, I haven’t smelled cigarettes, whiskey, or gunpowder, so that’s . . . nice.”</p><p>                “Is that Jane Willoughby ?”</p><p>                Jane looked away from Tim to see a slim, trimmed, darker skin woman, with a man of some sort of Asian decent, and three kids ( one of which was a baby ). The kid had their faces glued to phones as they followed their parents to the Willoughby siblings. Neither sibling recognized who they were, and they looked at eachother in confusion.</p><p>                “That’s me,” Jane answered. “Can I help you ?”</p><p>                “Hi, I’m Megan Watson – Lee,” the woman introduced. “I’m a bridal boutique owner on eleventh street.”</p><p>                “You’re the owner of ‘Diamond Boutique’ ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                Diamond Boutique was her biggest competition, as “Diamond” opened about month before “The Little White Dress”, but it seemed as if “Diamond” had the more chic dresses, far more staffing, the more hip people – celebrities have gotten their dresses from there, and Jane hadn’t seen anyone except the common folk of New York City in her own boutique.</p><p>                “That I am,” Megan claimed. “I’m surprised to see that you’re looking for a house here in Rosevalle.”</p><p>                “Well, I have my reasons,” Jane responded. “I love this house, and it’s not too far from my boutique.”</p><p>                “Well, you do recognize that this is a family house, right ?” Megan pointed out. “I mean, I don’t know if you can see, but I have my husband, Brad, my kids, Lucas, Sierra, and Ashley . . . you realize that this room has three bedrooms, and that the attic could be a bedroom. What would you even need all that room for ? All I see with you is your little husband.”</p><p>                Jane didn’t even argue over Tim and herself not being married, because there was no need to dig at her like that. She bunched her eyebrows and stood between her and Tim, with her arms crossed.</p><p>                “I have my reasons,” she said. “Why should it matter ? Maybe I might need the house, maybe you might need the house, but the thing about deals is, may the better deal win. As a business woman, you should be able to understand that, right ?”</p><p>                “I have money to spare,” Megan seethed. “ So, may the best deal win. Brad has already been in contact with the realtor’s office, and we have our offer put in for this house. I’d love to see you try, Jane Willoughby.”</p><p>                Megan flipped her exquisitely curled ponytail and snapped for her family to follow close behind her as they went inside the house.</p><p>                Jane felt her skin heat up as she glared at the woman that went back in to talk to the realtor before she left outside the door. How dare that slimy, mean . . . you know where this is going, talk to her like that ? She didn’t even know that woman up until know !! That woman didn’t know her situation, she didn’t know anything about Jane.</p><p>                “Tim, shoot the realtor’s office an email,” Jane ordered. “We’re getting this house.”</p><p>                “You got it, honey,” he confirmed.</p><p>                The realization hit her. She also accused Jane of being married to Tim. Do wedding rings mean anything anymore ? Do married couples even wear them anymore ? It didn’t matter. It wouldn’t matter even if Megan were still there, all arguing would’ve done would give Megan more tinder to fuel her flame.</p><p>                Jane simply turned and pushed Tim in his shoulder, before they headed up in order to leave the house.</p><p>                Jane stopped to say goodbye and thank the realtor before she and Tim headed back to the car.</p><p>                “Do you think we act like a married couple ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “The term for what we have is a ‘platonic partnership’,” Jane replied. “It’s like being married, without the whole romance aspect involved.”</p><p>                “That’s what Queen and I had,” Tim explained. “But that was called a loveless marriage.”</p><p>                “Well, we aren’t married, we’re just siblings that just so happen to live together and coincidentally are going to raise a baby together,” she said. “I’m still glad you’re here. I would’ve tackled that girl to the ground if you weren’t.”</p><p>                “Oh come on, you would’ve thought of the baby,” he said. “You’re too good of a momma to put our lima bean in danger.”</p><p>                Jane gave a soft smile and chuckled quietly under her breath. She leaned over and rested her head on his forearm. She really was glad he was here, because it was moments like this that showed she couldn’t do this alone. She missed him, and that made the time they had together even more special. It was nice to have a buddy to go house hunting with, and a person to come home to for trash T.V and pizza nights. It was nice to share her life with someone that actually wanted to be in it.</p><p>                “We should go furniture shopping,” she said. “Maybe we could find some good nursery stuff to get, like cribs and changing tables.”</p><p>                “So, domestic stuff ?” he asked. “That’s some real adult stuff. I haven’t gone furniture shopping in a good five years, and that’s when B. broke our couch when he sat on the arm of it.”</p><p>                “You think that’s bad ?” Jane asked. “A. did a full on belly flop on my old coffee table at a house party I had. I didn’t think the wood would break under his weight, but the amount of force he put behind it destroyed it.”</p><p>                “Imagine if it was glass, then you would’ve had a hospital bill to pay,” Tim reminded.</p><p>                “Like hell I would’ve,” she said. “That was his fault. I would’ve drove him to the emergency room, but I’m not paying for his dumb actions.”</p><p>                “He’s our brother,” Tim said.</p><p>                “And he’s an idiot,” Jane finished. “He is a genius when it comes to architecture and building, but with his common sense . . .”</p><p>                “He’s our idiot,” Tim insisted.</p><p>                “He <strong><em>is</em></strong> our idiot,” she agreed. “And we love him.”</p><p>                “Want to go to “Homes, Houses, and Hospitality” ?” he asked. “I think they have a department for nursery furniture, we can go and check it out.”</p><p>                “Yeah, then we can start figuring out a color scheme, or at least a theme,” Jane agreed. “I’m having a hard time figuring out if I want to do a white wood or a dark wood.”</p><p>                “Do you have any nursery themes in mind ?” he asked. “Anything like unicorns and rainbows for a girl, or dinosaurs and blue stripes for a boy ?”</p><p>                “I like stars.”</p><p>                “Stars ?”</p><p>                “Yeah.”</p><p>                “What about space ?”</p><p>                “Just stars.”</p><p>                “Okay, stars.”</p><p>                They drove away from the house and drove back into town and to a parking garage, where they were able to park while they went looking at the furniture. They held hand as not to stray too far from eachother in the stream of people. Soon they saw the sign to the huge, multi – story building that was labeled as “Homes, Houses, and Hospitality”. They entered the store and were greeted by a map of the building.</p><p>                Tim looked closely at the directions, as he traced his finger over the departments in the store.</p><p>                “Eighth floor,” he said. “Children and babies.”</p><p>                Jane nodded before they both went inside and followed the signs that pointed towards the elevator. There was no way that they were going to take the stairs. Eight flights of stairs ? What kind of crazy person would do that when there’s an elevator ? Well, there were escalators too, but the elevator was of the most convenience, unless they would be crammed in there like sardines. Tight spaces weren’t really Tim’s thing.</p><p>                There were only three other people in their elevator flight; a man on his phone, who was talking to what sounded to be his husband, and a woman with her teenage daughter. Nobody spoke to anyone, but everyone got off on different floors, the man got off on the kitchen furniture floor, and the woman with her daughter got off on the patio furniture floor, before Tim and Jane got off on the floor for babies and kids.</p><p>                The two siblings looked down aisles that had models of daybeds, dressers, toddler beds, little closets, nightstands, bedsheets ( that weren’t character themed, which was actually really aesthetically pleasing, maybe not to a kid, but definitely to adults ), small trinkets and décor that could be hung in a room, before they finally reached the cribs.</p><p>                They turned down the aisle to be greeted by cribs starting at the whitest of white wood as the palate of wood colors slowly changed to different colors all the way to the blackest of black wood.</p><p>                “What if we got a light blue crib, to add a splash of color ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “What about grey wood ?” Jane insisted. “Then we could have color in the room that’s not gendered.”</p><p>                “Grey’s not a color, Jane,” Tim said.</p><p>                “It’s a color !!” she exclaimed. “White, grey, and black are colors !!”</p><p>                “But like a bright color,” Tim proposed. “Like a light yellow, or a blue.”</p><p>                “I think that grey and white make a perfect color combination,” Jane stated. “Why should we add more colors into it ?”</p><p>                “I think a really light yellow would look good,” Tim urged. “At least, keep an open mind to adding more colors, okay ?”</p><p>                “I’ll consider other colors,” she said. “But don’t get your hopes up.”</p><p>                “I’ll take it for what it’s worth,” he accepted. “But, I’m sure you’ll change your mind.”</p><p>                “I could also change my mind about you sleeping on B.’s couch,” she said.</p><p>                “Ooo, that’s below the belt,” he hissed.</p><p>                She bumped her hips against his and put her hand on his back, to reassure him that she was kidding, and would never kick him out. She wouldn’t shut him out again. She enjoyed having him in her life. She would never say any of this out loud. What was she, a sap ? She couldn’t tell him all of that.</p><p>                He put his arm around her shoulders and brought her in close as they looked at the white cribs that stood in front of them.</p><p>                “Should we get a bassinet too ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “What would we need it for ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Then we could do things around the house without having to carry her, they might be too little for a baby swing or a bouncer,” Tim explained. “Maybe we could get one for downstairs and upstairs, so on days they can’t sleep, they can sleep in one of our rooms.”</p><p>                “Why can’t they just sleep in the bed with us ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “We could roll over in the middle of the night and suffocate them !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>                “You have a point there,” she agreed.</p><p>                “So, we need two bassinets,” Tim started.</p><p>                “We don’t need two bassinets,” Jane reminded. “We could always carry one up and down the stairs.”</p><p>                “Okay, we need a bassinet,” he said. “And a crib, and a changing table, and maybe a rocking chair, and what about a swing ? We might need a swing.”</p><p>                “Tim.”</p><p>                “Okay, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it . . .” he sighed. “But what about a stroller ? A stroller is something we need.”</p><p>                “Let’s focus on the crib for now,” she grounded. “We can barely even agree on the color of the nursery.”</p><p>                “Okay, so a light yellow crib ?” he asked.</p><p>                “What about a light grey crib ?” she proposed.</p><p>                “Why don’t you want a yellow crib ?” he asked.</p><p>                “What’s wrong with a grey crib ?” she asked.</p><p>                “We’re going to get stuck in a stalemate if we keep arguing like this, Jane.”</p><p>                “Then agree with me, and then we don’t have to argue anymore.”</p><p>                “You’re not going to back down are you ?”</p><p>                “Nope.”</p><p>                “I didn’t think so. I hoped so, but I guess I should’ve expected this.”</p><p>                “What are you saying ?”</p><p>                “You, Jane Florence Elizabeth Willoughby, are the most stubborn woman I’ve ever known.”</p><p>                “Well, Timothy Anthony Malachy Willoughby, I’d like to call it being decisive.”</p><p>                “So, we’re getting a grey crib ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Do I have a choice ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Not really,” she said.</p><p>                He nodded and smiled.</p><p>                “So we’re getting grey furniture for the baby’s room ?” she asked.</p><p>                “And two bassinets.” He confirmed.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Tim</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “Fine.”</p><p>                “One bassinet,” she repeated. “Maybe we’ll get two if we have the money, but we need to focus on the house first. Once we have the house, then we can focus more on furniture and stuff.”</p><p>                “We should probably upgrade the furniture in the apartment,” he said. “Then we could have a table to have more than just a few people over at a time.”</p><p>                “Let’s focus on the baby first,” she reminded. “I know moving’s exciting, but the baby doesn’t have anything right now, and we already have furniture.”</p><p>                His hand was on her stomach and he nodded in agreement.</p><p>                “You’re right, momma,” he whispered. “You’re right.”</p><p>                “And don’t you forget it, poppa.”</p><p>                “You two are such a cute couple !!”</p><p>                Jane and Tim turned to see two teenagers at the end of the aisle, and the two teenagers waved at the Willoughby siblings. Tim and Jane simply forced smiles and waved back, as the teenagers left.</p><p>                “That’s going to get annoying, isn’t it ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I’m over it,” Jane responded. “We know we’re siblings, and that’s what matters.”</p><p>                “Okay,” he agreed. “If you say so.”</p><p>                “Unless it’s coming from Megan,” she added. “Then, you might have to hold me back.”</p><p>                He let off a laugh and shook his head.</p><p>                “She does have a punchable face,” he agreed. “Do you think if someone punched her mouth open, a bunch of saline would come out ?”</p><p>                Jane laughed alongside him. Maybe they would ? Considering her race, she had big lips, but there was no way they were that big and that perfectly sculpted. They couldn’t have been. Megan had the perfect jawline, perfect hair, perfect face, perfect body, but after having three kids ? It had to have been impossible without the work of plastic surgery . . . or witchcraft.</p><p>                “Maybe her and Brandi Buchanan from ‘Keepin’ It Real’ would get along well,” Jane said.</p><p>                “Did you know they have a ‘Keepin’ It Real’ in other places ?”  Tim asked. “’Keepin’ It Real : Portland Housewives’ from Oregon, ‘Keepin’ It Real : New Orleans’.”</p><p>                “Sounds like we have more T.V series to watch,” she said. “We can go back to the apartment and watch them.”</p><p>                “Are you sure you want to go back there ?” Tim asked. “Are you okay with being there ?”</p><p>                Jane squeezed Tim’s side as she leaned her head onto him.</p><p>                “As long as you’re gonna stay,” she said.</p><p>                “I’m not going anywhere,” he agreed. “I don’t have anything else to do today.”</p><p>                “Good,” she said. “I like having someone to talk smack about trash T.V with.”</p><p>                “I like someone to watch T.V with too,” he agreed. “It gets pretty lonely when people don’t want to spend time with you, even if it’s just the small stuff.”</p><p>                “Trust me, I know,” she responded.</p><p>                “Troy never watched T.V with you ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Unless it was hockey, he didn’t care,” she responded. “Hockey is such a stupid sport, I don’t get it. It’s just hitting a plastic double chocolate cookie across a basketball court.”</p><p>                “I thought you would’ve liked hockey,” he said. “People running into eachother, teeth flying through the air, people getting checked in the kneecaps.”</p><p>                “I’m not that violent !!” Jane exclaimed. “I got into a few fights in my life, but I don’t want to see blood all over the floor and spewing out of people’s faces. It’s gross.”</p><p>                “Okay, I got it,” he said. “You don’t like when you didn’t cause all the blood to splatter all over the place.”</p><p>                “Hey !!”</p><p>                “What ?”</p><p>                “You’re a jerk,” she teased. “Let’s go back home and start binging ‘Keepin’ It Real’.”</p><p>                “Okay, if you’re sure about it.”</p><p>                “I am, as long as you’ll be there.”</p><p>                “I will be.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Hiraeth Into Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔼𝕝𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 :</p><p>ℍ𝕚𝕣𝕒𝕖𝕥𝕙 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕠 ℍ𝕠𝕞𝕖</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                Jane was still in bed, it had been a week since they found out that their bid wasn’t enough for the house of their dreams. Someone bid two <strong><em>million</em></strong> dollars, and they got the house. It wasn’t like Jane and Tim had the money to throw around. It seemed like her hope for a nice house was gone, and that it would be a million times higher than she thought it would be to find a home for her family.</p><p>                Tim knocked on the door of her bedroom, before he came inside the dark master suite.</p><p>                “Knock knock,” he greeted. “Miss Martinez got back to us.”</p><p>                “Let me guess, she found a house miles away from the city, but it would work because it’s a family home ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                She smothered her face into her pillow and groaned quietly to herself. She had twenty – eight more weeks to go, which roughly translates to about almost five months, and who knows how long it’s going to take in order to find a house, renovate it, get furniture, throw a baby shower, and a gender reveal party ? The baby might be almost a year old by the time it all gets done !!</p><p>                She felt Tim sit down beside her and put his hand on her back.</p><p>                “She found a house on Rosevalle that she wants us to look at,” he answered. “She said that it’s not exactly like the one we saw last week, but it has the same architecture and style we were going for.”</p><p>                Jane lifted her head up and turned it behind her shoulder.</p><p>                “Do you want to at least go and look ?” he asked. “It wouldn’t hurt to try and check it out, maybe it might need some renovation, but we could make it into our own House Willoughby.”</p><p>                “How much money would it cost to renovate it all ?” Jane asked. “If the house is a million dollars, we’d only have a hundred – thousand left, and –“</p><p>                Tim sat her up on the bed and wrapped his arms around her.</p><p>                “Jane, you’re worrying too much,” Tim said. “We’ll figure it out, like we always do. If it makes you feel better, the house is only nine hundred – fifty thousand, we’ll had a little bit of money to renovate if the house really needs it.”</p><p>                She leaned into the hug, though she didn’t hug back.</p><p>                “I promise we’ll get through this,” he comforted. “Together.”</p><p>                “You’re sure ?”</p><p>                “I’m sure.”</p><p>                “When does she want to meet us over there ?”</p><p>                “In an hour.”</p><p>                “Then, what are we waiting for ?”</p><p>                “That’s the spirit.”</p><p>                Jane got up from the bed and pulled out her sheepskin boots before she tucked her leggings into the boot sleeves.</p><p>                “You’re just going to go in leggings and a pajama shirt ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Who cares ?” she asked. “My feet are swollen, my body’s hot, my chest is –“</p><p>                “Okay, I got it,” he exclaimed. “I don’t need all the details !!”</p><p>                “That’s what I thought.”</p><p>                They took their normal route out of the building, and made it to the parking lot, where they drove in Jane’s car to the street of Rosevalle. They passed by the blue house to see a U – Pack moving truck already parked and a ‘Sold’ sign on the ‘For Sale’ sign. Whoever this family was, they were incredibly lucky to have that house, but maybe this house might be the Willoughby siblings’ blessing in disguise. This house could be all they wanted and more, especially if they were renovating it.</p><p>                “I’m pretty sure the most basic family is living in there,” Jane shaded.</p><p>                Tim snorted at the notion, but he couldn’t laugh because most of his ex – neighbors were rather basic. He lived in between the Jannings and the Jennings, both families had a son, a daughter, and a dog. The Jennings had a son named Hayden, the Jannings had a son named Zayden. The Jennings had a daughter named Amber, the Jannings had daughter named Ember. The Jennings dog’s name was Spot, and the Jannings dog’s name was Dot.</p><p>                “What’s the address ?” Jane asked. “Is it that one ?”</p><p>                “Nope, not that one,” he answered. “It’s going to have a ‘for sale’ sign in front, remember ?”</p><p>                “That one ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Jane.”</p><p>                “Right, right,” she responded. “I just want to know what it looks like, so I can start thinking about some of the things we can do to make it our own home.”</p><p>                “It’s going to look like one of these ones,” he claimed. “So a Victorian outside, and probably a Victorian inside.”</p><p>                “Hopefully it’s been updated a little bit since then,” Jane said. “I hope we’re not walking into a house that hasn’t been updates since the sixties, because who knows how much funding we’d have to put into redoing plumbing and electrical wires then ? Things have changed and I want to focus more on the stuff we want if we’re renovating.”</p><p>                “She didn’t say when it was last updated, but it has to have been updated since it was built in the nineteen – tens,” Tim reassured. “The last people to live there just moved out maybe three years ago, so they might’ve updated things a little too.”</p><p>                “Yeah, you’re right,” Jane agreed. “Besides, it seems like there’s enough young people in the neighborhood to think the last homeowners were pretty young too. They had to be up with the times.”</p><p>                “I’m glad to see you thinking positive,” Tim said. “Keep that mindset and we’ll have a house in no time.”</p><p>                They pulled in front of a Victorian styled house. The shutters were supposed to be white, but you could mistake them for beige with the amount of paint that had already chipped from the wood. The windows seemed eternally fogged inside, and the inside was barely visible to the outside world. The house’s paint was green, in a shade anyone could describe as creamy avocado ( the most horrendous shade of green ). The grass was overgrown, and pale yellow, much like the wheat plants that grew around Melanoff’s factory. The porch was faded and the wood looked rotted, if anyone heavier than Tim were to step on it, they’d fall right through ( which was bad news for A., considering he was nearly two hundred pounds of muscle ). The walkway was crumbled, and broken, which allowed weeds to break through and thrive among it. The entire thing was framed by a rusty metal fence that was nearly collapsed in some places.</p><p>                “This is it,” Tim claimed.</p><p>                “No,” Jane refused. “It can’t be. This can’t be the house. You said it was going to be nice.”</p><p>                “I said it needed some work done,” Tim reminded. “But if we buy it, we can make it a home of our own.”</p><p>                “It’s ugly, Tim,” Jane argued. “The baby would fall right through that porch, or their little hands and feet might get stuck !!”</p><p>                “We can fix the porch,” Tim reassured. “The Barnabys would probably have that done within two days.”</p><p>                “How much would that cost ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Does it matter when it benefits the baby ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Yes !!” Jane snapped.</p><p>                There was a knock on the car window and Jane turned to be greeted by the face of a Hispanic woman in a purple pantsuit with a clipboard in her hands.</p><p>                “Hi, Mister and Miss Willoughby,” she greeted. “Do you want to see the inside of the house ? I promise it’s not as scary as it looks on the outside.”</p><p>                Tim noticed Jane was about to give Missus Martinez a run for her money, before he grabbed his sister by the shoulder. He rolled the car window down and gave the realtor a fake smile.</p><p>                “We’d love to,” he said. “Give us a moment and we’ll be right in there.”</p><p>                He rolled the window back up, and pulled Jane into a hug.</p><p>                “Can we just give the house a chance ?” he asked. “It’s in a great neighborhood, and I’m sure, with time, it will look exactly like the house down the street.”</p><p>                “Exactly ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Maybe even better,” Tim encouraged. “Then we can rub our neighbors’ noses into it.”</p><p>                “Do you think it’ll make those jerks that robbed us of the other house jealous ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “They’d hate us because our house looks so nice,” Tim affirmed. “Their house wouldn’t have nothing on ours.”</p><p>                “You mean it ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “I do.”</p><p>                “I think . . .” Jane sighed. “I think I’m ready.”</p><p>                “Let’s go,” Tim said. “We’re burning daylight.”</p><p>                Both siblings exited the car and made their way up the crumpled gravel walkway, and they tiptoed up the scary sounding, squeaky porch, before they entered the front door.</p><p>                Tim touched the doorknob before he examined the front door to see one window completely shattered out, and others with cracks and cobwebs in them. He cringed lightly before they went further into the house, where the realtor stood in a tiny, closed off room that had a brick fireplace.</p><p>                Jane looked past the realtor and ran her fingers along the dusty mantle. She rolled the dust into a little dust bunny on her hand before she dropped it on the floor. She scowled at the sight of the eyesore fireplace before she turned to the realtor.</p><p>                “When was the last time this house was renovated ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Well, appliances were upgraded in the early two – thousands,” Missus Martinez answered. “The plumbing and electrical were updated in the late.”</p><p>                “So this house hasn’t been upgraded at all since then ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “The bathrooms have been,” the realtor reassured. “But, the last people to live here was an elderly couple. It was a sad event to the community when the old lady that lived here passed away in her bedroom.”</p><p>                “The bedroom was here ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Yep, the master bedroom, all the way upstairs.” Missus Martinez answered.</p><p>                Jane forced herself to smile, though it was obvious that her cool had begun to crack at the news of the last people to live inside the house.</p><p>                “Hear that, Tim ?” Jane asked. “Someone <strong><em>died</em></strong> in here.”</p><p>                “That was ages ago, right ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Well, four years ago,” Missus Martinez answered. “But the most that really remains from her is the curtains in the kitchen and the floral wallpaper in the room.”</p><p>                “C – Can we see the inside of the attic ?” Tim asked. “We could start from the top of the house and go all the way down.”</p><p>                “Oh, nobody’s been able to find the key to the attic since the elderly couple passed away,” Missus Martinez answered. “I asked their son, and he says that his father his it only someplace that his mother would be able to find it. Nobody else knew where the key was. But, if you’d like, I can show you the master suite and we can go from there.”</p><p>                “Yes, we’d like that,” Tim answered.</p><p>                Missus Martinez walked up the tiny staircase. Tim was about to follow but Jane stopped him.</p><p>                “Tim, this is a ghost house and there’s probably <strong><em>bodies</em></strong> in the attic,” Jane whispered. “That would explain why it stinks so bad in here.”</p><p>                He held onto her shoulders and gave them both a firm squeeze. Tim smiled at her and knitted his eyebrows in an attempt to tell her that it was going to be okay.</p><p>                “It’s mothballs and wood,” Tim reassured. “And probably dust. I doubt there’s any <strong><em>bodies</em></strong> in the attic.”</p><p>                “You’re not leaving me alone,” Jane demanded.</p><p>                “I wouldn’t want the old lady ghost to get you and make yarn out of your hair,” he teased.</p><p>                She shoved him and squinted before she folded her arms.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Tim</em></strong>, <strong><em><span class="u">don’t</span></em></strong>.”</p><p>                He remembered that Jane had an irrational fear of that, due to an incident where she caught Mother harvesting Father’s mustache hair to make yarn for the sweaters and scarves she would make ( and never, ever share ).</p><p>                “Sorry,” he sighed. “There’s no ghosts in here.”</p><p>                She turned on her heel and walked up the stairs and down the hallway, towards the master bedroom.</p><p>                Tim followed close behind ( not like he truly had a choice otherwise ), and they both arrived in the big bedroom.</p><p>                There was a small window seat, and the walls had the horrific, cream colored, flower patterned wallpaper all the way up to the moulding of the walls. The windows were covered in grime that compiled with time. Big, thick curtains hung from the spear like rod in front of the windows.</p><p>                “Well . . . without the wallpaper, this isn’t a <strong><em>bad</em></strong> room,” Jane claimed. “And I’m sure, with some scrubbing, the windows would look . . . <strong><em>not</em></strong> gross.”</p><p>                “Yeah, see, the house is a nice house !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>                “’Nice’ is an overstatement,” Jane disagreed. “’Decent’ sounds like the right word.”</p><p>                “She lived in an apartment before this,” Tim explained to the realtor. “She’s not used to house.”</p><p>                “I lived in a <strong><em>great</em></strong> apartment before this,” Jane argued. “I’m right here, you don’t have to talk like I can’t hear you.”</p><p>                “Well, I will admit this house would definitely need renovations for some young people like you,” Missus Martinez reasoned. “Especially considering that the toilets have big, puffy old people seats on them.”</p><p>                “They make toilet seats for old people ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Well yeah,” Tim said. “Their butts get all bony when they’re old. Queen’s grandma had puffy seats in her bathroom too.”</p><p>                “The shower heads wouldn’t work for a guy like you either, Mister Willoughby,” Missus Martinez added. “They’re made for people that are more, five foot ten.”</p><p>                “Curse your giraffe body, Tim,” Jane commented.</p><p>                Jane opened the squeaky door to the bathroom and scrunched her nose at how little it was in comparison to the bathroom in the other house. It was way bigger than the ones in her apartment, but still . . . there wasn’t a waterfall shower and jacuzzi tub.</p><p>                “At least there’s a seat that folds out in the showers,” Missus Martinez claimed. “I mean, they’re made for old people so they don’t have to bend so far down to reach their legs. I don’t know what you youngsters would use them for, but that’s your business.”</p><p>                “I mean, we could definitely use them, for something,” Jane said. “But it would be pretty useless after awhile.”</p><p>                She looked down at her stomach, in a way that Tim could get the hint, but Missus Martinez wouldn’t have an idea.</p><p>                They were lead out of the master suite and Missus Martinez opened doors to allow the Willoughby siblings to see inside of any rooms they wanted to see inside. Most were barren and empty, and they mimicked the master suite in the way that the windows were tinted with the grit of passing years, and the wallpapers were same old lady taste. One bedroom had a built in closet space, and enough room for a kid to grow up in. Toys could fit comfortably with a bed and other things like a desk, and there would be room for when the baby upgraded from toys to sports equipment or a vanity for makeup ( maybe even both if that’s what the baby was interested in ).</p><p>                Across the hallway was the furnace, which was far more upgraded than a coal bin.</p><p>                They eventually came across the guest bathroom, which was more square than the house down the street, but if they thought hard about it; maybe square was a perk. Tim had more leg room, and he wouldn’t kick the sink cabinets as soon as he left the shower. The downside was the lighting was dulled, and the ceiling light needed a new replacement, and the gross creamy avocado made another appearance, this time in tile form. Both siblings took a mental note of the color, and it was added to the renovation list.</p><p>                They reached the attic door, where Tim lagged behind in hopes of being able to unjam the door from the doorway, and unlock the secrets of the house. It was as if it held a bounty of history, that waited to be rediscovered, or it could’ve held an entire bank vault of money. It might have even been a completely renovated and air conditioned office that Tim could and would rub Jane’s face into.</p><p>                “Tim, what are you doing ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Nothing !!” he exclaimed. “I just thought, maybe, I might’ve been able to pry the door out from the lock and we could . . . have a little look in here.”</p><p>                “Well, King Arthur, that door isn’t Excalibur,” she said. “Come on, I think this last room might be yours. Then you can start plotting all the Pin – It ideas you want to put in your room.”</p><p>                “King Arthur got Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake,” Tim disagreed.</p><p>                “I think they’re the same sword,” Missus Martinez asked.</p><p>                “See, so he had to have pulled it from the sword, Tim,” Jane clarified.</p><p>                “No, my dear Jane,” he claimed. “That is called a ‘plot – hole’.”</p><p>                “I could think of another ‘hole’ word you’re being right now,” Jane stated.</p><p>                “Don’t take it there,” Tim warned.</p><p>                He entered the room that Missus Martinez stood in.</p><p>                “This one has a built in closet like the other room,” Missus Martinez claimed. “But I think this one is a tad bit bigger, which would function well with a grown man like yourself.”</p><p>                “I think she’s trying to say that you have telephone pole legs,” Jane teased.</p><p>                “She is not,” Tim argued. “You’re not, right ?”</p><p>                “You could fit a bigger bed in here, and you might need that in a room,” Missus Martinez commented. “But I’m not saying anything.”</p><p>                “Great, now you got the realtor to make fun of me,” Tim pouted. “Look at what you did, Jane.”</p><p>                Jane covered her mouth in order to giggle at Tim’s little whiny fit before she shrugged.</p><p>                “If I didn’t pick on you, who would ?” Jane asked. “Would a trip to the kitchen make you feel any better ?”</p><p>                Tim nodded and both siblings followed Missus Martinez down the stairs, though the living room that had the dingy brick fireplace, an itty – bitty dining room that had a china cabinet built into the walls ( neither sibling owned fine china, and the only china they would’ve owned was turned to rubble in the demolition of House Willoughby ), and too the tiny kitchen, which was painted the nasty, creamy avocado green with a peeling fruit themed backsplash.   </p><p>                The appliances were definitely the modern thing in there, but the counters were chipped and wood flakes peeled, the curtains looked like doilies that had been dipped in a pan of waffle fry grease from the Ham Bros. dumpster. The only light that was really let in was through the curtains that hung from the door, and the little window above the sink.</p><p>                “This is the tiniest kitchen I’ve ever seen,” Jane commented. “Even the kitchen at the apartment can fit an island in it.”</p><p>                “Well there isn’t a formal dining room at the apartment either,” Tim reminded. “You have to sacrifice a few things during a move.”</p><p>                “I am not sacrificing my island,” Jane stated. “I need it to cook.”</p><p>                “Well, there’s still plenty of room for you both to be in here,” Missus Martinez claimed. “Try doing the ‘two person’ test, where you guys pass eachother in the kitchen.”</p><p>                Tim backed against the counter, which allowed for Jane to get in. They managed to slide past eachother, but within a few months, simply managing wasn’t going to cut it anymore. Jane wouldn’t be able to have anyone in the kitchen with her, and if Tim wanted to help cook, he wouldn’t be able to. They both gave the realtor pouty eyes as they finished the test.</p><p>                “I – If you’re still uncomfortable with the space, I’m sure you cold knock these walls down,” Missus Martinez recommended. “It’s pricy, but it’s worth it.”</p><p>                “H – How pricy are we talking ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “We have a lot of things to focus on finance wise, so we’re trying to price out how much these renovations are going to cost us,” Tim explained. “If it’s really expensive, we might have to look elsewhere for a house.”            </p><p>                “On average, it’s about one thousand – five hundred,” she answered. “But, I . . . I’ve heard that there are places around here that can do it for seven – hundred.”</p><p>                “Well, if we didn’t hire a crew, and we did it ourselves, how much would it cost then ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “That’s a very risky move, Miss Willoughby,” Missus Martinez claimed. “But, I would assume all the supplies would add up to about six – fifty.”</p><p>                “That’s not too bad !!” Tim exclaimed. “Our brothers, they do a lot of building stuff, I’m sure we’d be able to get them on board and that would be so much cheaper than getting a whole crew to renovate the house.”</p><p>                “That works out in your favor then !!” Missus Martinez agreed. “Maybe you might have your own little crew, and this house will be fixed up in no time !!”</p><p>                “See, Jane, maybe the house isn’t too bad,” Tim reassured. “Do you think you could live in a place like this if we made it look better ? Got new windows, new doors, new wallpaper ?”</p><p>                “Well, the rest of the house is functioning,” Jane claimed. “The furnace works, the plumbing has been upgraded, along with the electrical work . . . and if we get the Barnabys on board, we could get started the week we move in.”</p><p>                “So, are you two saying yes to this house ?” Missus Martinez asked.</p><p>                Tim gave Jane a wide – eyed look, and opened his arms to his sister. He raised an eyebrow in inquisition of her answer.</p><p>                “We’re on the same page, right ?” he asked. “The house is under a million, we can renovate it. Everything’s pretty much okay in it. The neighborhood is perfect.”</p><p>                Jane bit the inside of her cheek. The house was okay, other than the old lady wallpaper, falling apart front porch, wheat looking grass, old lady ghost that could steal Jane’s hair in her sleep, and possible case of dead bodies in the attic – but those were all things they could change. The wallpaper could be peeled off, the porch could be reinforced and rebuilt, the grass could be cut and watered, sage was readily available at the supermarket, and the police could be contacted immediately.</p><p>                “I think . . .” Jane started. “You’ll see us in your office very soon to organize a mortgage contract.”</p><p>                “We got the house !!” Tim cheered.</p><p>                “You did get the house !!” Missus Martinez agreed. “I’m glad I could help you find another house, after you two didn’t get the one down the street.”</p><p>                “Thank you, Missus Martinez,” Jane said. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”</p><p>                “I’m truly happy to help,” Missus Martinez claimed. “Speaking of, I have an appointment at my office with another family. If you don’t mind, we should head out to lock up.”</p><p>                She lead both Willoughby siblings out of the house and locked the door, before she headed back to her own car.</p><p>                Tim opened the passenger door for Jane and allowed her to get in, before he went around to the other side. He sat in the drivers seat before he jumped a little bit at Jane, who pulled him into a hug.</p><p>                “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for taking me here.”</p><p>                He returned her hug and allowed her to nuzzle into his neck.</p><p>                “You made the choice, Jane,” he claimed. “You wanted to come here too.”</p><p>                “But, thank you for dragging me out of bed today,” she claimed. “Who knows if this house would be here tomorrow.”</p><p>                “By the looks of it, it would’ve been here awhile,” he said. “But now we know we have a house, and a safe place to raise our baby in.”</p><p>                “Yeah,” she agreed. “You’re right, poppa.”</p><p>                “And don’t you forget it, momma.”</p><p>                “Don’t push it,” she said.</p><p>                “Okay, fine,” he muttered. “I think this calls for a celebration. How does Tasty Tortellini’s sound ?”</p><p>                “Oh, we’re going fancy tonight ?” she asked. “I could honestly go for some penne pasta drown in marinara sauce and meatballs.”</p><p>                “Tasty Tortellini’s it is,” Tim confirmed.</p><p>                He started up the car and pulled out from the newly crowned House Willoughby. They began to drive down the street before Jane noticed a family that carried in the last of their boxes from the U – Pack truck in front of their previous dream house.</p><p>                “Tim, slow down !!” Jane exclaimed.</p><p>                She squinted though her glasses. The kids carried in boxes that were labeled “Lucas” and “Sierra”, while who looked to be the mom carried in a box labeled “Kitchen”. The man, assumed the father, had a baby strapped to his chest with a baby carrier, as he talked on the phone with someone.</p><p>                “Is that ?” Tim started.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Megan</em></strong>,” Jane hissed. “Of course, that <strong><em>bitch</em></strong> got the house.”</p><p>                “Whoa, Jane, not in front of the baby !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>                “Oh, the baby can’t hear me,” Jane responded. “And even if they could, it’s not like I’m lying.”</p><p>                “Fair point,” Tim claimed. “Look at her, with her perfect kids, and her perfect house.”</p><p>                “Look at her perfect car, and perfect face,” Jane continued. “We’re going to be that, times a billion.”</p><p>                “Look at her husband,” Tim said. “With a baby carrier strapped to his chest.”</p><p>                “Tim, you’re going to have a baby strapped to your chest soon,” Jane argued. “Stick to things that won’t happen.”</p><p>                “Okay, look at her husband,” he restated. “And his soft, swishy hair that’s all gelled up into something that’s not a bowlcut.”</p><p>                “So you’re still not getting rid of the bowlcut ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “It’s practical !!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Keyframe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕧𝕖 :</p><p>𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕂𝕖𝕪𝕗𝕣𝕒𝕞𝕖</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                “So this hunk of junk is yours ?”</p><p>                Jane and Tim had finally invited the Barnabys to the house after they agreed to renovate the place. A. claimed he needed to bust some walls down after he had to listen to Patience, as she contemplated on whether or not they should serve potato salad or pasta salad at the wedding, and B. said his hands had gotten that itch they’d get when he hadn’t done something that involved tools after awhile.</p><p>                Patience had tagged along too, and upon the sound of A. making the remark of the house being a dump, she smacked him on his shoulder and shot him a rather icy look that only a southern woman would be capable of.</p><p>                “Sweetheart, not everyone lives in a ranch house like we do,” she scolded. “That don’t give you any excuse to be rude about their house.”</p><p>                “It’s not much to look at now,” Jane answered. “But I’m sure that once we’re all done with it, it’s going to be the house we all want to live at.”</p><p>                “Are you guys going to be the ones having barbeques from now on ?” B. asked. “I love going out to A. and Patience’s land, but sometimes the smell of . . . <strong><em>horses</em></strong>, really gets to me.”</p><p>                “Well, we’re not planning on having a horse,” Tim reassured. “I don’t think one would fit in the backyard.”</p><p>                “Anything can fit if you’re brave enough,” A. claimed. “You could fit a whole Shetland pony in a shed.”</p><p>                “And what if your little girl wants a pony ?” Patience asked. “Are ya’ gonna tell her no, poppa ?”</p><p>                Patience batted her eyelashes at Tim, and twirled a lock of her hair, as if she were the one that begged for a pony ( and with the fact that she’s a farmer girl, she has probably begged for a pony more than once ).</p><p>                They went inside the front of the house and were greeted instantly by noises of disappointment from the others.</p><p>                “Why is the kitchen green ?” B. asked. “I didn’t think people painted their kitchens green anymore.”</p><p>                “It looks like baby poop green,” A. insisted. “Or like –“</p><p>                “Creamy avocado,” Jane finished. “That’s the nicer term we like to use for it.”</p><p>                “Blended guacamole,” Patience said. “And the blended kind is the worst.”</p><p>                “See, that’s agreeable,” Tim claimed. “I have to see the tomatoes and avocado chunks, or else it’s not good guacamole. Queen and her family taught me that.”</p><p>                “We are tearin’ down every piece of wallpaper and paintin’ over every single lick of that avocado green,” Patience said. “Where should we start, Jane ? Let’s leave the boys to it down here, knockin’ down walls ‘n such. It ain’t no place for a lady.”</p><p>                “We could always start in the master suite,” Jane instructed. “The bathroom and bedroom have this awful wallpaper pulled from this month’s catalogue of ‘Old Ladies Weekly’.”</p><p>                “Well, while you guys get started up there, we’re going to bust up the walls down here,” A. claimed.</p><p>                He promptly kicked his foot straight through the wall, which caused nearly everyone to gasp at the sight of his leg through the wall in the living room.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Barnaby Alan Willoughby</em></strong> !!” Patience snapped. “You can’t just go bustin’ up holes in the wall !!”</p><p>                “What if you broke your leg ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “What if you hit a pipe, or an electrical outlet ?” B. questioned.</p><p>                “That would be so much money down the drain !!” Jane continued. “Use the mallet next time !!”</p><p>                “We’re taking the wall down anyway !!” A. defended. “What’s the difference between using my leg and using a mallet ?”</p><p>                “You can break your leg !!” Patience and Tim both defended.</p><p>                “And the charge would be cheaper for a mallet than a leg !!” Jane and B. argued.</p><p>                “Fine, fine,” A. sighed. “I’ll use a mallet.”</p><p>                “And ya’ better keep usin’ it !!” Patience enforced. “C’mon, Jane, let’s get this old lady wallpaper off the walls.”</p><p>                Jane followed Patience upstairs and down the hall to the master suite. Patience swung the door of the bedroom open and gasped at the sight of the atrocious cream wallpaper that decorated the room. She did a slow twirl around to examine the wallpaper that made the room look so incredibly drab, with her mouth agape.</p><p>                “This looks like the material my grandmomma made my preschool picture day dress out of,” Patience commented. “We gotta get this stuff off the walls. It ain’t nothin’ for a chic city lady, movin’ to the suburbs, such as yourself, Jane.”</p><p>                “You took the words right out of my mouth, Patience,” Jane agreed. “Let’s start tearing this wallpaper down.”</p><p>                Patience got down on her knees and began to pull up the wallpaper that had begun to peel from the floor moulding and ripped off the sheet of wallpaper, before she tossed it onto the ground.</p><p>                Jane shut the door behind herself and got on her knees to peel the wallpaper up from the ground, and it tore in thin, wispy wallpaper strands at the top of the wall. She couldn’t reach it, even on her tiptoes and arms as high as they could possibly stretch in the air.</p><p>                “Oh !! Jane !!” Patience exclaimed. “Don’t lift your arms too high !! The little one will get all tangled and caddywhumpus in the umbilical cord !!”</p><p>                “Is that a thing ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Uh, <strong><em>yes</em></strong> !!” Patience claimed. “It happened to my older brother, Dorian. The umbilical cord was around his neck and he lost a bit of oxygen before he came out.”</p><p>                Patience tapped her chin in thought.</p><p>                “Well, that would explain why he’s engaged to the ol’ stick in the mud he’s engaged to,” Patience rambled. “Never could trust that man to make a good decision, even if he is makin’ a lot of lucrative bucks.”</p><p>                “What’s your brother’s new fiancée’s name ?” Jane asked. “Will she be at the wedding ?”</p><p>                “It’s like Duchess or Lady, or some royal name,” Patience answered. “Pretty fitting for a nose in the air kind of lady like herself. She was actually married before !!”</p><p>                “Weird,” Jane stated. “And she’s a young person right ?”</p><p>                “Somewhere around Tim’s age, I think ?” Patience pondered. “I think she’s a few months older than your brother, she’s two months older than Dorian, but she looks almost forty. She looks like crows stamped the sides of her eyelids, she needs makeup to look even halfway near decent.”</p><p>                Jane laughed at the comment. One thing Jane felt blessed with ( a thing all the Willoughby siblings were blessed with ), was looking young. She’s been told she looks about twenty, even though she was closer to thirty. She didn’t wear much makeup outside of mascara and eyeliner either ( she wore chapstick too, but that didn’t really count, did it ? ), and embraced her natural beauty ( something Nanny had taught her when she was an insecure tween in middle school ).</p><p>                “Oh, you know who wears makeup but doesn’t need it ?” Patience asked. “Sabrina. That girl is so pretty, and she cakes on all that foundation and eye makeup. She could do without the black lipstick too.”</p><p>                “Maybe it’s what makes her feel comfortable,” Jane suggested. “It’s like my clothes. Everyone says I could wear brighter colors, but I like what I wear. I feel like I look good in that.”</p><p>                “You could,” Patience insisted. “You could pull of the light pinks, or light yellows, if you wanted to.”</p><p>                “The thing is I don’t want to,” Jane clarified. “Maybe Sabrina could look better if she dressed in brighter colors, but maybe she doesn’t want to. It’s like if someone told you to wear all black, because they think you look good in it.”</p><p>                “Well, I ain’t goin’ to no funeral,” Patience claimed. “That’s the only time you’ll catch me wearin’ black.”</p><p>                “Exactly.”</p><p>                Jane went to the next piece of wallpaper and tore it up from the base of the floor moulding. This time, she was able to pull all of it off in one big sheet. She gave a quick sigh of relief as she tossed it to the center of the room.</p><p>                “We might need yours and A.’s truck,” Jane noted. “We’re going to have a lot of garbage to throw out.”</p><p>                “They are takin’ an entire wall down, Jane,” Patience reminded. “Gettin’ the truck over here in a spell is a given, and we’re gonna need plenty trash bags.”</p><p>                “And first aid supplies, because I doubt A. kicking a hole in our wall is going to be the end of his escapades,” Jane listed. “If anything, that was only the beginning of the havoc he’s going to be the center of.”</p><p>                “He’s a Disaster Man, alright,” Patience agreed. “But, I still love him. He’s got a sweet and gentle soul, and energy like a cute, little labradoodle. It’s always nice to come home from the market and see his smilin’ mug, waitin’ for me to get back.”</p><p>                Patience was nearly halfway done with her wallpaper sections, and Jane had just gotten started with section number three. Jane began to peel the paper, though the strip she ripped decided to split into two strips as she pulled up. Jane let off a disgruntled groan as she peeled the paper up, hoping it wouldn’t leave behind paper strands like the first strip had done.</p><p>                “It’s nice to know he has someone that really loves him,” Jane commented. “A., B., Tim – they’re good men. They deserve amazing wives, and A. really likes you.”</p><p>                “Oh, he does ?” Patience asked. “I had no idea.”</p><p>                Jane chuckled at her sarcasm, before she shook her head. That was one of the sappiest things she had said about her brothers in an exceedingly long time, or at least the sappiest thing she had said aloud. Her mind and heart was always brimmed to the top with love she had for them, but showing emotion, specifically love, became harder for her to express. She had just gotten comfortable around Tim, which was why it wasn’t such a big problem for them to cuddle on the couch and watch reality T.V, or it wasn’t super awkward to hold his hand and lean on him as they walked down the street. It was security and comfort, which was something everyone needed, even Jane.</p><p>                “I’m sure he does,” Jane reassured. “For what it’s worth, he hasn’t called you a psycho bitch, like he did with his last ex. In his defense, she was absolutely bonkers.”</p><p>                “What was her name ?” Patience asked. “Frannie ? Annie ?”</p><p>                “Francesca Martinelli,” Jane answered. “She goes by Fannie.”</p><p>                “Oh, her,” Patience groaned. “She walks around the market, wearin’ a ripped up shirt under a fishnet top. Bless her heart.”</p><p>                “Bless it indeed,” Jane agreed. “Poor girl was about as batty as Dracula’s castle.”</p><p>                “She asked me if I knew A., once upon a time,” Patience commented. “I’m glad I said ‘no’, because hell has no fury like a bullfrog in a matchbox.”</p><p>                “Can you even fit a bullfrog in a matchbox ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “If you squish it in there enough,” Patience explained. “But that don’t make it right. They’re big ol’ thangs, they don’t deserve to be all holed up in a matchbox.”</p><p>                “Don’t people down in the south eat frogs ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Sometimes, it’s big part of cajun and soul food,” Patience explained. “I’ve never been particularly interested in frog legs. I think it’s a little cruel to eat an animal so sweet.”</p><p>                “You eat beef, and chicken, and all that,” Jane prodded. “Why do you draw the line at frogs ?”</p><p>                Jane had gotten five strips of wallpaper off of the walls, and she was nearly caught up with Patience, before it would be time to move to the bathroom. The bathroom should be easier, since the amount of wallpaper was smaller, because title was also on the walls.</p><p>                “There’s animals meant for eatin’, like beef cattle, and butcher chickens,” Patience clarified. “But then there’s animals <strong><em>not</em></strong> meant for eatin’, like dairy cows, and egg hens. Frogs ain’t hurtin’ nobody, and I think it’s senseless to eat them, or squish them in matchboxes.”</p><p>                Jane shrugged at her answer. It was a good point, there was no point in arguing if she could back up her statement so well. Jane didn’t necessarily think of where her food came from, especially with her given state. The thought of a cute little moo – cow going through a slaughterhouse was enough to make a woman like Jane cry.</p><p>                “One thing that’s actually real good though, is some gator,” Patience claimed. “They taste like chicken nuggets made for some sophisticate grownups.”</p><p>                “<strong><em>Gator</em></strong> ?” Jane asked. “As in like . . . <strong><em>alligator</em></strong> ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, gator !!” Patience repeated. “They go all buck – wild in the swamp lands, I think they could be knocked down a few pegs.”</p><p>                “I could not imagine eating alligator,” Jane said. “Even if they did look like chicken nuggets.”</p><p>                “Oh, one day, I’ll get you to eat some gator, Jane,” Patience insisted. “I could tell you they’re some boneless wings and you wouldn’t even know.”</p><p>                “Well, now I know not to trust you when you hand me a plate of boneless chicken wings,” Jane responded.</p><p>                Patience giggled at Jane’s statement as she tore her last sheet of wallpaper off the walls, and tossed it into the pile that had formed in the center of the room.</p><p>                Jane pulled up her sheet of wallpaper and threw it into the pile as well.</p><p>                “The bathroom next ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, the bathroom next,” Jane confirmed. “We might have less to do in there, because the walls have that gross green avocado tiles up the sides.”</p><p>                “I’ll never get these folks’ wallpaper choices,” Patience claimed.</p><p>                Patience opened the bathroom door, and made her way inside. Jane followed behind her and shut the white, wooden door.</p><p>                “Look at this little ol’ shower,” Patience commented. “It has the rails in it. Non – slide surfaces, an old person seat. You could do some aerobic dancin’ in here, like in that one movie from the eighties.”</p><p>                “Well, I’m not planning on doing any aerobic dancing in the next few months,” Jane commented. “In like two months, I’m going to be too big to do that kind of stuff.”</p><p>                “Maybe the baby might come out dancin’ if you dance more now,” Patience suggested. “Maybe Tim and yourself can go down to the studio on sixth street and take a few salsa lessons there. A. takes dance lessons down there sometimes too !! He’s a great dancer.”</p><p>                Jane snorted at the comment of A. being a great dancer. Maybe he was, and maybe he might show off his new skills at the wedding, because at Tim’s wedding . . . ‘great’ wouldn’t be the word she would use to describe his dancing prowess. She didn’t need to tell Patience that though.</p><p>                The two women tore down the smaller sheets of wallpaper on the walls of the bathroom, and it was indeed easier than the bedroom, since the wallpaper was square at their upper torsos.</p><p>                “I can’t wait to see what the house looks like when we’re done,” Patience commented. “It’s gonna be a beautiful haven, I can tell you that.”</p><p>                “I sure hope so,” Jane agreed. “I’d hate to move to the suburbs with no pay off.”</p><p>                “That’s the city gal in you speakin’,” Patience claimed. “I’m sure you’ll adjust with time. You may not adjust in a week, or even a year, but you’ll adjust. It took me a good few months to get used to New York as compared to Georgia. My town was little, and everyone knew everyone. New York ain’t nothin’ like that.”</p><p>                “It seems like you see a new face everyday,” Jane agreed. “But that’s what makes the city fun. You see new thing, do new things, meet new people. It’s a place of experience and opportunity –“</p><p>                She stopped herself.</p><p>                “But it’s too dangerous to live there anymore.”</p><p>                Jane didn’t mean to say it out loud, but the statement was nothing but true. There were reasons of why they had to move out of the city – <strong><em>many</em></strong> reasons.</p><p>                “I understand that loud ‘n clear,” Patience answered. “It’s a dangerous place, which’s why I barely leave the farm. It’s cozy out in the country, not a lot of people come by, and you can hear crickets and frogs. Out there, you can see stars, and the moon. Here in the city, it’s nice, but if it ain’t one of the most unwelcomin’ places.”</p><p>                “The city’s where my heart lives,” Jane informed. “If I had a choice, I’d stay there, but I have to put other people before myself right now. Maybe one day I’ll live there again, but for now, this is the safest choice.”</p><p>                “At least you’re thinkin’ of the baby,” Patience reassured. “I see plenty ‘o people out in the city, with their little kiddos, and it ain’t a place for ‘em. Too big, too scary.”</p><p>                Jane pulled another wallpaper strip from the wall, before what seemed to be a piece of paper stuck out from her next piece. She furrowed her eyebrows and tugged it from her next wallpaper strip. Jane squinted at it before she realized that it wasn’t an ordinary piece of paper, but an envelope. The writing on front was in old cursive, not like the cursive you see anymore. It reminded her of Mother’s handwriting, and the though caused Jane to shiver.</p><p>                “To The New Homeowners.”</p><p>                “Huh ?” Jane whispered to herself.</p><p>                “Whatcha’ got there ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                Jane unfolded the envelope that was crusted with wallpaper paste, and pulled out a small slip of paper that resembled something of an invitation. The writing was still in old cursive, but luckily Jane had figured out how to read the nearly illegible words of time’s past when she would decipher Mother’s handwriting.</p><p>                “You’ve stumbled upon our little stunt, so we, the houseowners of this home’s past would like to invite you on a treasure hunt. Behind the paper, this note was found, but your next place is far closer to the ground. Our fortune is for you to find, it is all we have left behind.”</p><p>                “Well, lookie lookie.” she muttered.</p><p>                “Well, what is it ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “Some kind of riddle,” Jane explained. “It’s like a treasure map without any pictures. I wonder what the last homeowners were trying to say.”</p><p>                “A treasure map ?” Patience asked. “I ain’t seen one of them since I was a little girl. I didn’t even think people did treasure hunts anymore. Are ya’ gonna do it ?”</p><p>                Jane shrugged. The idea of a treasure hunt was incredibly childish . . . but it was exciting. Jane felt a warmth inside her chest, like once she hadn’t felt in a long time. She couldn’t place her finger on the said feeling, but she knew it was good. Jane smiled and put the letter back in the envelope.</p><p>                “Maybe here and there,” she answered. “If I have some free time. They seem like they wanted someone to find whatever they’ve hidden.”</p><p>                “Oh sweetheart, you’re gonna have some free time, I can promise you that,” Patience said. “Once you have a baby, your busy body life slows down. My momma had eight kids, and someone hadda take care of ‘em.”</p><p>                “Well, we’re only having the one,” Jane insisted. “I’m pretty sure I don’t want anymore after this one right here.”</p><p>                “Oh, you might change your mind,” Patience claimed. “Babies are the most precious little thangs. Their big ol’ eyes and squishy l’il cheeks are enough to make anyone want a million of ‘em.”</p><p>                “I seriously doubt I want anymore,” Jane confirmed. “I wasn’t the most happy about this one.”</p><p>                “Well, suit yourself,” Patience said. “You’re more fitted to be a career woman. I, on the other hand, want six of ‘em. I can just imagine havin’ six l’il copies of A. and me, runnin’ around the farm.”</p><p>                Jane laughed at Patience’s little daydream.</p><p>                “Have you told A. about that yet ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Well, no,” Patience claimed. “But, c’mon, do you think he’d say no ?”</p><p>                “Ask him again after having one,” Jane teased. “I think he’d tap out.”</p><p>                “I’ll bet you twenty bucks he’ll want more,” Patience said. “C’mon, twenty bucks says he’ll want us to have kids !!”</p><p>                “And twenty bucks says he’ll stop after one,” Jane claimed. “It’s a deal.”</p><p>                “Okay, deal,” Patience confirmed. “Get ready to lose, sis.”</p><p>                Jane smiled at the thought of the bet. Yes, A. was marrying Patience, but Jane was his sister; she had to know him better than that. Jane watched her siblings grow into the people they currently are. She saw their ups, their downs, and everything in between. She was there when B. went on his first trip out of state by himself ( Well, it was a school field trip, and he was elected to go on it by the Robotics club, but Nanny and Melanoff didn’t go with him, so that had to mean something ), when A. made it onto the football team as their linebacker, when Tim was accepted by not one but two Ivy League colleges, and when Ruth won her very first first – place ribbon in a science fair. Jane was there when B. broke all of his fingers while he pulled an all – nightery to work n a dirigible for Robotics, when A. had finally broken up with Fannie Martinelli and would cry at the first syllable of her name, when Ruth would come home from ballet practice after being bullied by the other girls, and when Tim was at his lowest and finally made his decision to go to rehab for the first time.</p><p>                Jane knew her siblings, even if she has greatened her emotional distance vastly from when they were all kids. She knew, deep in her heart, nobody knew her brothers and sister like she did.</p><p>                “We’ll see about that,” Jane responded.</p><p>                There was a knock on the bathroom door.</p><p>                “Come in,” Jane called.</p><p>                “Everyone’s decent in here,” Patience added.</p><p>                The door opened and it was B.. He was covered in powdery white drywall, and had safety goggles and a sanitary mask affixed to his face.</p><p>                “The wall’s down, but uh . . .” he started. “We kind of have a problem.”</p><p>                Jane sighed and pushed her glasses further up her nose as she rested the bridge of her nose between pinched fingers.</p><p>                “Don’t say A. busted a pipe or messed up electrical wires,” Jane said. “I told him we don’t have the money for him do be messing around like that downstairs.”</p><p>                “And I told him to use the darn mallet !!” Patience added. “It’s gonna be his tail if he decided to jerk around like that again !!”</p><p>                “No, no, it’s not A. this time,” B. reassured. “We ran into a problem with the wall.”</p><p>                Jane followed him downstairs, with Patience close behind. She was greeted by both Tim and A., as they looked at a large post nearing the end of where the wall was, as well as one at the other end of the wall. A. had his arms crossed as he scratched the side of his cheek, and Tim stood with his hands on his hips as he looked at one of the posts.</p><p>                “What’s this ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Support posts,” A. claimed. “They’re there to hold up the support beam for the upstairs portion of the house. We can’t get rid of them, or else upstairs will collapse.”</p><p>                “Which means we either have to pay a lot of money to put the wall back up,” Tim continued. “Or we’re going to have two posts in the way of our open concept floor plan.”</p><p>                “It can still be considered ‘open – concept’, even with the posts here,” B. insisted. “I live in an open – concept apartment –“</p><p>                “You live in a studio apartment,” Jane corrected. “There’s only one actual room outside the main room, and that’s the bathroom.”</p><p>                “It’s an open – concept studio apartment,” B. stated. “Even if it has a support pole in the middle of it. You can still see everything inside, even with the pole in the middle.”</p><p>                “What do you want to do, Jane ?” Tim asked. “You’re the one forking out money for this. It should be up to you.”</p><p>                Jane walked off the stairs and stood between the two poles, and attempted to imagine what it would look like with these two poles in the way. They weren’t centered with the living room, so it would make no sense to put a couch in between them, or it would be off centered from the T.V, and other aspects of the living room.</p><p>                She walked into the living room and envisioned what would look nice there. A fish tank made no sense, because even though Smokey’s old, he could still cause mischief and scoop little fish from the tank. The couch was already out of the question. A playpen for the baby would be far out of place. Maybe . . . a desk ? They could put a decorative glass separator or a set of obscure shelves in between the two, and a desk could ft behind it.</p><p>                “What if . . .” she started.</p><p>                She hadn’t said that in a positive light in so long. It was always a ‘what if I mess up ?’ or ‘what if it all goes wrong ?’, but never a good ‘what – if’.</p><p>                “We put some sort of separator here,” she contemplated. “Like a set of shelves for books and pictures, or a glass decorative piece, and behind it, we have a desk ?”</p><p>                “A desk ?” Tim asked. “Then I could have an office space that’s not in my room !!”</p><p>                “So, you like the idea ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “It could definitely work,” B. agreed. “It would take up the space, and make use of the gaps, while still providing most of the open – concept look you guys want.”</p><p>                “And if y’all get a nice bookcase, it’ll be another centerpiece to make this house unique !!” Patience claimed. “It could add all kinds o’ new character to this place.”</p><p>                “And all this happened because I kicked a hole in the wall,” A. boasted. “You guys should thank me.”</p><p>                “We’re not going to thank you for kicking a hole in our wall,” Jane refused. “But I will thank you for using the mallet, like someone that <strong><em>isn’t</em></strong> a walking wrecking ball.”</p><p>                “Using mallets isn’t fun,” A. claimed. “What’s the point of using one when I could just throw myself through it and take down almost <strong><em>all</em></strong> of it ?”</p><p>                “It’s dangerous !!” Patience exclaimed.</p><p>                “And not to mention dumb,” B. added. “What if there was a vent filled with asbestos in there ?”</p><p>                “Or an entire spider nest,” Tim said. “If you use a mallet, then you could see the spider’s nest before they’re all over you.”</p><p>                “And in your britches !!” Patience finished.</p><p>                “Okay, okay, enough about using the less efficient way to knock down walls,” A. redirected. “Jane was really the brains of this operation; I didn’t think about making this into an office space – then again, I don’t work an office job, and barely even read my emails.”</p><p>                “I didn’t even think to make this into an office space, and I’m at a computer every day from nine until five,” Tim claimed. “It’s creative. Then I have a rest space, and a work space for when I have to bring my work home.”</p><p>                “I think we should get Ham Bros.,” Patience proposed. “We worked hard today. We deserve it. It’s on me.”</p><p>                “Do you mean that it’s on us ?” A. asked.</p><p>                Patience batted her eyelashes, as if she was about to beg her fiancé for a pony.</p><p>                “What else would I mean ?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Seeing Socha</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕟 :</p><p>𝕊𝕖𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕠𝕔𝕙𝕒</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                “I think he’s depressed. Should we take him to the vet if he’s depressed ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                She cradled Smokey in her arms as they drove to their new house. The poor cat hadn’t eaten very much in the past few days, and while he would lay down, he never really slept. The biggest thought was that this was the beginning of the end for the poor tabby cat they had since they were kids, but Jane couldn’t fathom the loss of him. He wasn’t old enough yet, he had to live longer. He was simply depressed and needed to be around them more. Maybe he knew the baby was coming and connected that once the baby was here, Tim and Jane wouldn’t be able to give him daily night cuddles or pamper him on the couch.</p><p>                “They don’t prescribe anti – depressants for animals, Jane,” Tim responded. “What do you think they’d do if we brought him in and said we think he’s sad ? They’ll probably say what I’ve been saying. He might know that the baby’s coming.”</p><p>                “I just . . . I don’t want him to be <strong><em>sick</em></strong>,” Jane confided. “He’s not <strong><em>old</em></strong> enough to be sick.”</p><p>                “He’s getting to be an old man, Jane,” Tim explained. “He might be . . . <strong><em>getting</em></strong> <strong><em>there</em></strong>.”</p><p>                They pulled into the front of the house, and exited the car. The Barnabys were already at the front porch. B. pulled up boards on the far side of the rotted wood, as A. jumped on the other side.</p><p>                “B., look at me,” A. said. “Hey, hey, B., look at me.”</p><p>                “What are you doing ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Look at how high I can box jump,” A. greeted.</p><p>                He proceeded to jump and lift his legs towards his chest, before he prepared to plant his feet on the porch, but instead he fell right through, and broke down his side of the porch.</p><p>                “You spaz !!” B. snapped.</p><p>                “What ? They’re all going to the dump anyway,” A. justified. “Efficient.”</p><p>                Jane sighed, as she knew that the hole in the wall wasn’t going to give A. enough satisfaction to behave the entire renovation, so the current event wasn’t anything surprising.</p><p>                “What do you guys need me to do ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Can you start loading the boards into the back of the truck so we can take them to the dump when we’re done ?” B. asked. “We’re going to try and get the front and back porches down, as well as tear out the kitchen cabinets so we can expand the kitchen.”</p><p>                “Thank god,” Jane said. “I’m so tired of looking at those gross yellow cabinets.”</p><p>                At the house next door, a police car pulled into the driveway, and someone that was slightly familiar exited the law enforcement vehicle. It seemed he noticed Jane too as he came up to the white picket fence on the other side of the lawn.</p><p>                “Jane Willoughby, you’re the one that bought this house ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Deputy Wolfe ?” she asked. “Are you here on a business call ?”</p><p>                Her question was answered as the front door of the house opened up and three little boys ran out, and excitedly shouted ‘Daddy !!’, before they went and grappled the man into a hug. A woman, who was more obviously pregnant than Jane, followed the boys down their porch’s steps and went to hug and kiss Deputy Wolfe on the cheek.</p><p>                “Nope, this is my humble abode,” he explained. “And please, I’m off the clock; call me Randy.”</p><p>                “Oh, so I guess we’re neighbors !!” Jane exclaimed. “It’s a pleasure to meet your family.”</p><p>                “These are my boys; Connor, Damien, and Hamish,” he introduced. “And this wonderful, dynamite of a woman is my wife, Bea.”</p><p>                “It is lovely to meet you, Jane,” Bea said. “It’s nice to have a new neighbor. It’s always a little boring seeing the same faces on the street everyday – I haven’t seen a woman with such pretty hair in months !!”</p><p>                “Oh, uh, thank you ?” Jane said.</p><p>                “Daddy ?” Damien asked. “Uh, we were wondering, and mommy said to wait –“</p><p>                “Can we go down the street and play at Trevor’s house ?” Connor asked.</p><p>                “He got a new trampoline in the backyard !!” Hamish finished.</p><p>                “As long as you three are back by six thirty,” Deputy Wolfe – er . . . Randy told his sons. “Connor and Damien have school tomorrow.”</p><p>                “But I don’t got school tomorrow !!” Hamish whined.</p><p>                “You have to get up early, because you and mommy are going to go shopping tomorrow,” Bea reasoned. “We have to get up early so we aren’t stuck in the car forever. Maybe, if you’re good, we can get an ice cream tomorrow.”</p><p>                “You promise ?” Hamish asked.</p><p>                “I promise, my little cubster,” Bea soothed.</p><p>                “Okay, so six thirty ?” Connor asked.</p><p>                “Six thirty.” Randy confirmed.</p><p>                The three boys went to the driveway on the side of the house, before they all rode out on bikes ( Little Hamish was on a tricycle, but Connor and Damien were on bikes ) and went down the sidewalk, about four houses down.</p><p>                “Are you guys fixing up the house over there ?” Randy asked.</p><p>                “Oh – yeah,” Jane confirmed. “We want to get it fixed up before the baby comes.”</p><p>                “A baby ?” Bea squealed. “Who’s having a baby ?”</p><p>                “I am,” Jane answered. “I’m due in April.”</p><p>                “Oh, I’m due in March !!” Bea exclaimed. “I hope you stay for awhile, maybe our little babies can grow up together !!”</p><p>                Jane let off an awkward laugh. She wasn’t used to people being so . . . friendly, right off the bat. Then again, she wasn’t too friendly on first impression. She always came off as cold, and even the girls at work claimed they were intimidated at their interviews.</p><p>                “Do you need any help ?” Randy asked. “I have power tools in my shed, and Bea has two hands.”</p><p>                “Oh, you guys want to help ?” Jane asked. “I’m sure we could use the help. Grab your power tools, and let me introduce you two to my family.”</p><p>                Randy went to the gate on the side of his house, before he soon returned with a toolbox. He and Bea came from their house and Jane opened the gate to allow them both inside.</p><p>                “Tim, Barnabys, these are our neighbors, Randy and Bea,” she introduced.</p><p>                “Randy, Bea – the walking building is my older brother, Tim, and the two over at the porch are my younger brothers, A. and B.. A’s the one with the mustache and B.’s the one without.”</p><p>                Jane gasped slightly at the movement in her arms, before she saw that Smokey had decided to wake up in her arms. She allowed him to adjust before she showed him to Randy and Bea.</p><p>                “And this is my cat, Smokey,” Jane introduced.</p><p>                “Oh my gosh, you all have such pretty hair,” Bea complimented.</p><p>                Both the Barnabys got out from the porch and Tim came from the wood pile.</p><p>                Tim held his hand out, which caused the five to all handshake and mutter awkward, unfamiliar introductions at eachother.</p><p>                “So, uh, I brought some power tools over,” Randy said. “Is there anything you need me to do ?”</p><p>                “Power tools, you say ?” B. asked. “You could be of definite assistance, Mister Randy. We’re going to need someone to unscrew some screws and bolts in the kitchen.”</p><p>                “I still don’t see why I can’t just kick the counters off the wall,” A. started.</p><p>                “Because they’re screwed into the wall, A., you could tear giant freakin’ holes into Tim and Jane’s wall, and the kitchen would be ruined !!” B. reminded. “I’m sorry about him, he’s a –“</p><p>                “Genius ?” Randy asked. “You can totally kick down some sides of a counter, and it would be more efficient in getting the countertops to collapse. It’s a demolition job, you can’t be scared to get your hands dirty.”</p><p>                “I like this guy !!” A. exclaimed. “He gets me.”</p><p>                “Look, if the job doesn’t call for kicking holes into things, why would you kick holes into things ?” B. asked. “Anyway, Patience is working on the baby’s room, upstairs.”</p><p>                “Oh, I should introduce you to my sister – in – law, Bea,” Jane said. “I’ll follow you upstairs, just give me a minute. It’s the last door on your right when you go upstairs.”</p><p>                “I’ll see you in a minute, Jane,” Bea dismissed.</p><p>                Bea went inside the house, which left Tim and Jane in the front yard.</p><p>                “I told you the suburbs are like a community,” Tim teased. “They seem like nice people. Maybe when we’re all settled in, we can treat them to dinner.”</p><p>                “I don’t know,” Jane sighed. “I’m not used to this . . . I guess I’m not used to having nice neighbors. My last neighbors were a drunk that smelled awful and never left the house without cigarettes and coffee, and a weird fitness instructor that started every sentence with ‘Don’t ‘cha know ?’. She tried to get me to do her Zumba classes all the time – like hello lady, can you not take a hint ?”</p><p>                Tim let off a soft laugh before he grabbed Jane’s shoulders and lightly brushed his thumbs over the fabric.</p><p>                “Neighbors can be weird, but at least you didn’t live between the Jennings and the Jannings,” he claimed. “They were like hivemind aliens trying to blend in with society. Sometimes I’d see them at block parties and couldn’t tell which guy was Bob Jennings and which one was Rob Jannings. Randy and Bea seem nice – as long as our neighbors aren’t Andy and Lee, I don’t see anything suspicious about them yet.”</p><p>                “Bea’s weirdly obsessed with our hair,” Jane commented. “What if she does something weird . . . like steal some of it to make yarn out of ?”</p><p>                “If she starts sniffing your hair, punch her and then call me,” Tim instructed. “I’ll have them out of this place in no time flat.”</p><p>                “You suck at fighting,” Jane commented.</p><p>                “I’m sure I can hold myself up,” Tim reasoned. “I got you and our little lima bean to protect now.”</p><p>                “They’re the size of a peapod now.”</p><p>                “So, they’re a little sweet pea ?”</p><p>                “Pea<strong><em>pod</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “Let me have some fun with it.”</p><p>                “<strong><em>Fine</em></strong>. You can call them a lima bean.”</p><p>                Tim placed his hands on her stomach and grinned in victory.</p><p>                “Poppa’s little lima bean,” he mumbled, quite possibly to himself . . . or he was gloating.</p><p>                “I should go up and help the girls,” Jane said.</p><p>                “And I should get back to piling in the wood, we’re going to have a lot to run to the dump later,” Tim claimed. “When we’re done, you want to go and get Ham Bros. and not invite anyone else ?”</p><p>                “I don’t think I can take the smell of onion rings right now,” Jane said. “What about we go to that Pho place on Ninth street ? What’s it called . . .”</p><p>                “’What The Pho’ ?” Tim answered.</p><p>                “Yeah, that place,” Jane confirmed. “I was going to suggest Dynamite Dim – Sum, but that’s all the way across town. I just want something Asian.”</p><p>                “We should make a point to check out more restaurants that are close by,” Tim said. “Then maybe we can find things we don’t have to go all the way across the city for.”</p><p>                “I’d like that,” Jane said.</p><p>                “Me too.”</p><p>                Both siblings stood and stared at eachother, in silence. Before Jane looked down at Smokey.</p><p>                “I think he’d be better inside,” she suggested. “Rest his bones, you know ?”</p><p>                “Right,” Tim confirmed. “And that wood would be much better in the bed of the truck.”</p><p>                “You better get to it,” she said. “Looks like we both have work to do.”</p><p>                They split up, both went to do their respective jobs. Jane went inside, before she heard the clicking of kitten heels and stomping of sandals up the stairs. Patience and Bea must’ve been at the door, and wanted to act like they were working the entire time. Jane went down the hallway, and peeked into the nursery, where Patience and Bea whispered to eachother.</p><p>                “He totally likes her, you saw the way he was lookin’ at her. Like a dog eyin’ a honey roast ham, any girl would just about die if a guy looked at her like that.”</p><p>                “So I wasn’t the only one that picked up on that ? My cupid meter was going bananas !!”</p><p>                “So, what are you you guys talking smack about ?” Jane interrupted.</p><p>                “Oh, uhm - !!” Bea sputtered.</p><p>                “Texas Housewives,” Patience answered, rather matter of fact. “Bea and I were just discussin’ how Daryll Hudson was checkin’ Diane Dalloway out last episode.”</p><p>                “Oh crap, isn’t that Patty Potts’ cousin ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Brother !!” Bea exclaimed.</p><p>                “No, no, no, it is her cousin,” Patience claimed. “At least, I’m pretty sure it’s her cousin.”</p><p>                “O – Oh yeah, right,” Bea stuttered. “It was her cousin, not her brother. Mom brain – it gets the best of us. Right, Jane ?”</p><p>                Jane shrugged as she put Smokey down on the floor, and allowed him to walk around and sniff out the room. He might as well get used to it, then he might be more familiarized with the room by the time the baby comes.</p><p>                “I forget a lot pretty easy anymore,” Jane answered. “Sometimes we come back from getting dinner, and I’ll see that I hung up our food on the key rack and put Tim’s keys in the fridge.”</p><p>                “Oh, I do that too,” Bea empathized. “Sometimes I start to wake up and see that I put Damien in the highchair and Hamish is in one of Connor’s shirts.”</p><p>                “At least I have one kid to look after,” Jane claimed. “I couldn’t imagine having to deal with three, soon to be four.”</p><p>                “All I have to say is that I’m incredibly thankful that we’re having a girl this time around,” Bea commented. “I’ve been drowning in the testosterone, and Randy says that this little squish might restore the balance.”</p><p>                “Oh, did you come up with any names for her ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Anya Louise,” Bea answered. “Anya was Randy’s mom’s name and Louise is my mom’s name.”</p><p>                “Oh, that’s beautiful !!” Patience exclaimed. “I always like Madison Rose or Tabitha Grace for a baby girl, and maybe Shane Elliot for a little boy.”</p><p>                “Have you ever talked to A. about baby names ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “He wanted to name a son ‘Leonard Aurellio’,” Patience commented. “I’m not lettin’ him get the chance.”</p><p>                Jane let off a laugh and shook her head.</p><p>                “Tim came up with the name ‘Dirk Francis Oswaldus Willoughby’,” Jane giggled. “I let him come up with the first name for a boy, and the middle for a girl.”</p><p>                “Oh, what did he come up with ?” Bea asked. “Normally men don’t come up with baby names. I was surprised when Randy told me he wanted to name this little one after his mother.”</p><p>                “He wanted to go with Richard first, but he works with a guy that goes by Rick, so he changed his mind to Keith if we have a boy, and I said it could be ‘Keith Thaddeus Edward Willoughby’ for a boy,” Jane started. “But we wanted to name a girl ‘Taffeta Joy Willoughby’.”</p><p>                “Taffeta . . . such a pretty name, I wish I had a pretty name like that,” Bea claimed. “Instead, my dad’s mom passed away a month before I was born, and my dad wanted to name me ‘Beatrice Mary’, and I got stuck with ‘Beatrice Mary Lee Konig’. Thankfully, I took Randy’s last name, because ‘Beatrice Mary Lee Wolfe’ is a little bit more tolerable.”</p><p>                Jane thought for a moment. Jane Florence Elizabeth Baker . . . if she were to have taken Troy’s last name. She scowled at the thought. She definitely made a better Willoughby, she couldn’t truly imagine herself with another last name, no matter how hard she tried. She couldn’t even see herself as a Melanoff, even when she got adopted, and when Nanny and Melanoff married.</p><p>                “I’ve already practiced my new signature, and said my name in the mirror like I’m callin’ upon Bloody Mary,” Patience added. “’Patience Hope Willoughby’.”</p><p>                “Patience Hope ?” Jane asked. “I never knew your middle name until now.”</p><p>                “’Patience Hope Johnson’,” Patience said. “But I think ‘Willoughby’ sounds a ton better. It’s so unique, and it’s the love of my life’s last name, so what’s there not to like.”</p><p>                Jane furrowed her eyebrows. Johnson. That sounded familiar . . . but it was a common last name. She probably heard it in “The Little White Dress” or read it on a magazine cover.</p><p>                “I don’t get girls that don’t take their husband’s last names,” Bea commented. “The family next to you guys, they’re our friends, but she hyphenated her last name. He has a pretty last name too – Lars Vinderstromm and Celeste Vinderstromm – McMilk.”</p><p>                McMilk was immediately familiar. If you were in the fashion business, or a fashion fanatic like Jane was, you would know of the teen modeling sensation Celeste McMilk.</p><p>                Jane’s eyes widened at the sound of her name.</p><p>                “Wait, Celeste McMilk lives on this street ?” Jane asked. “The Celeste McMilk ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, but she and her husband are vacationing in Sweden right now,” Bea explained. “They’re trying to adopt a little boy. His name is Hugo, and they have pictures of him – he’s the cutest little thing, I should invite you guys over for dinner when they get back. Maybe it could make you and Tim feel more at home here.”</p><p>                “Sweet of you,” Jane started.</p><p>                “Uh, Jane ?” Patience asked. “Does Smokey always do that ?”</p><p>                Jane looked away from the wall she worked on, before she saw that he meowed into the vent cover.</p><p>                The cat ran his paw over the vent and attempted to smush his paw in between the tiny slits in the hole. His pads became desperate as he looked at Jane.</p><p>                Jane kneeled on the ground next to him and peeked into the vent slats. She couldn’t quite make out what was in there, it was far too big to be a mouse ore even a rat. Jane managed to slip one of her acrylic nails into a slit and poked the top of the furry thing.</p><p>                “Mao . . .”</p><p>                The noise was soft but what the noise was couldn’t be mistaken. Her eyes widened in panic, because she connected that it was another cat. She didn’t know how long that poor thing had been in there !! He could’ve been starving, or sick, or hurt. She wasn’t going to leave him there.</p><p>                “Tim !!” she shouted.</p><p>                Both Patience and Bea kneeled next to her.</p><p>                “What’s in there ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “Is it a rat ? Randy could kill it with a hammer –“</p><p>                “Tim, twins - bring a screwdriver !!” Jane called.</p><p>                Jane heard footsteps as they stomped up the stairs, A. was the first one to enter the room, with two screwdrivers in hand. One was a flathead, and the other was a Phillips head.</p><p>                She snatched them both from him, and didn’t notice as Randy, A., and B. also surrounded her as she figured out which one she needed to open up the vent. She tossed the flathead to the side, and Patience picked it up as it rolled closer to the pile of wallpaper.</p><p>                Jane removed the vent lid and gently jammed her hands in, and under the poor kitty. Her eyes began to well with tears as she felt their ribs against her fingers. Their fur was oily, and matted to their body. Upon inspection under the sunlight, they were brown, nearly grey, with thick eyebrow fur, but Jane couldn’t tell if they were covered in dust or very old. Old was definitely a possibility, and they could’ve been owned by the previous owners. Why wouldn’t their family come and pick up the kitty ?</p><p>                “Patience, get a bucket and fill it with water,” Jane demanded.</p><p>                “We have dog shampoo at the house,” Bea commented.</p><p>                “Go get it, Bea. A., get a towel ready. B., take the truck and go get cat food from the store.”</p><p>                “Yes, m’am,” Bea confirmed.</p><p>                “You got it, Jane,” both twins chorused.</p><p>                “I can get one our dog’s beds and blankets,” Randy offered. “We need to help this cat.”</p><p>                “Thank you, Randy.”</p><p>                Jane was alone in the room with Smokey and the cat. She used her fingernails to pick at the clumps of dust and debris on the animal’s body. Their eyes weren’t open, and their breaths were shallow. She gently shook them and attempted to keep them awake.</p><p>                “Hey, hey, c’mon kitty, stay with me now.”</p><p>                It was probably the softest Jane had spoken in a long while. She wasn’t used to being so gentle towards anyone, or anything really, but cats . . . cats were a weak point. She had Smokey, and she’s had Smokey for a long time. She couldn’t fathom her cat . . . and obviously any cat, crossing the rainbow bridge if she could help them.</p><p>                Smokey managed to lift himself onto Jane’s thighs, before he stood on his back paws and rested his head on the other cat’s back. Jane’s cat began to let off a purr, in order to try and soothe Jane, and possibly help the other cat. He nuzzled his forehead into the other cat’s side, as he continued to purr.</p><p>                Jane looked up from the two cats to hear footsteps, as Tim turned the corner. He kneeled next to her and put his arm around Jane, as he allowed Jane to lean on him.</p><p>                “I heard what happened,” he whispered. “Come on, cat, you’re going to be okay. Just pull through, buddy. You got this.”</p><p>                Jane began to cry at the sound of Tim, as he soothed the cat too. She nuzzled her face into his neck and clung to her brother.</p><p>                “I just want them to be okay !!” she cried.</p><p>                “Hey, hey, they’re going to be okay, Jane,” Tim reassured. “C’mon, we got this.”</p><p>                “Please, kitty, pick your head up,” Jane begged. “Please, you can do it. Be strong, kitty.”</p><p>                Tim nudged her forehead with his own.</p><p>                “You got this, momma.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Avoiding The Dead Reckoning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕟 :</p><p>𝔸𝕧𝕠𝕚𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕒𝕕 ℝ𝕖𝕔𝕜𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                Jane paced around the dining room as she would take quick glances at the cat that slept in the dog bed on the floor, in the corner of the room. Smokey hadn’t left the brown cat’s side, and spooned the elderly cat that laid in the dog bed. He hadn’t stopped purring the entire time the other cat slept.</p><p>                “Jane, you’re pacing,” Tim pointed out. “Patience scheduled an appointment for him tomorrow at Staley’s Vet Clinic, and Doctor Staley’s a great doctor according to Randy and Bea.”</p><p>                “But what if they don’t make it until tomorrow ?” Jane asked. “What if we were too late ?”</p><p>                “Look at the positives,” Tim prompted. “This is the most active Smokey’s been in weeks. He hasn’t really moved until you got this kitty out of the vent. Maybe all he needed was a friend.”</p><p>                Jane ignored him as she continued to pace in circles around the living room. Her hands were bunched in her hair, as she glanced outside and saw that Randy had ordered pizza, and had set up a fold out table for his family, A., B., and Patience.</p><p>                “Look, Randy ordered everyone pizza for dinner,” Tim commented. “We should go out there. Smokey’s taking care of the cat.”</p><p>                “I can’t just trust a cat to take care of another cat !!” Jane exclaimed. “That’s like entrusting a cow to watch a chicken, a cow can’t watch a chicken. They’re both animals.”</p><p>                “What if we bring them out to the table, and have the bed next to us,” Tim suggested. “Then we can eat dinner and watch the cats at the same time.”</p><p>                “But what about their kids ?” Jane asked. “They’ll get their grubby, little <strong><em>kid</em></strong> hands all over them. They have <strong><em>germs</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “Randy and Bea’s kids seem well behaved,” Tim coaxed. “I’m sure if we just explain that the cat is sick, they’ll understand.”</p><p>                “I’m not going to put the cat in a situation that could be dangerous,” Jane stated. “They’re staying in here.”</p><p>                “Well, I’m hungry,” Tim said. “Want me to bring you in a slice of pizza ?”</p><p>                “Sure,” Jane responded. “I guess I could eat.”</p><p>                Tim nodded and went outside, out of their front yard, and into the Wolfe’s yard.</p><p>                “Oh, boys, this is Mister Tim, he’s our new neighbor,” Bea introduced. “Tim, these are our boys, Connor, Damien, and Hamish.”</p><p>                “Nice to meet you kids,” Tim greeted.</p><p>                “You’re tall,” Connor commented.</p><p>                “And you have girl hair,” Hamish added.</p><p>                “Hamish Emery, don’t be rude,” Bea scolded.</p><p>                “You have girl hair !!” Damien teased at his younger brother.</p><p>                “Stop it !!” Hamish whined.</p><p>                “Damien Geoffrey, you too,” Randy scolded. “Where’s Jane at ? We saved her a cheese pizza.”</p><p>                “I might eat the whole thing if she doesn’t come out here,” Bea warned. “Little Anya is pretty darn hungry.”</p><p>                “And if Bea does, I sure as hell will,” A. added.</p><p>                “Like hell you will !!” B. exclaimed.</p><p>                “Really, you two ?” Patience asked. “There are kiddos here.”</p><p>                “Don’t worry, Missus Patience,” Connor started. “My daddy dropped a bottle of soap on his foot and yelled the ‘s – h – i – t’ word.”</p><p>                “Connor Roderick !!” Bea exclaimed. “You can’t spell the word out either !!”</p><p>                “But, I didn’t say it, mommy !!” Connor argued.</p><p>                “He has a point, dear,” Randy reasoned.</p><p>                “Randy, don’t encourage him.”</p><p>                Maybe it was a good idea that they didn’t bring the cats outside. Jane would’ve had a meltdown by now.</p><p>                “I think I’ll just take her a plate,” Tim claimed. “She wants to stay with the cat, and make sure they’re okay.”</p><p>                “Oh, okay, that’s reasonable,” Randy answered. “But maybe you should still eat with her. Can’t leave your lady alone, Tim, especially when she’s pregnant.”</p><p>                Tim felt blush rise to his face at the notion of Jane being ‘his lady’, because he wasn’t quite comfortable with the thought of any other girl except for Queen in that spot. It wasn’t like he and Jane were anything like he and Queen were. He and Queen were married, albeit unhappy, but still married. He and Jane were siblings, even though Jane has made him happier in the past few months than Queen ever did in the past seven years, but they weren’t married.</p><p>                “Well, Jane’s not <strong><em>my</em></strong> lady,” Tim reasoned. “She’s not <strong><em>anybody’s</em></strong> lady.”</p><p>                “She’s your sister, you live with her, you bought a house with her, you’re taking care of her,” Randy justified. “Hell, you’re even helping her raise her baby. Sounds like she’s your lady to me.”</p><p>                “Look, Tim, bein’ someone’s lady doesn’t mean you’re datin’ them,” Patience explained. “It’s simply a way of sayin’, y’all are always together. Y’all look out for eachother and protect eachother. She’s your . . . now what’s the name for it ?”</p><p>                “Platonic soulmate ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, somethin’ like that !!” Patience agreed. “You wouldn’t trade her in for any other. She’s the one for you. Y’all always have good times together, and y’all are there for eachother’s bad times too.”</p><p>                “It’s like a best friend, but more,” A. claimed. “Because I would not move in with my best friend.”</p><p>                “Well, you kind of suck too,” B. chided. “He says his name in his sleep.”</p><p>                “I am well aware of that,” Patience agreed. “What do you dream about at night, Mister ?”</p><p>                “Anyways, go to her, Tim,” Bea excused. “Once you’re moved in, we can all have dinners all the time. I’m sure that cat escapade made her a bit emotional.”</p><p>                Bea had a point. Jane was super bothered about that cat. They’re the whole reason an extrovert like Jane wasn’t where the people were. Tim took two plates of pizza, one for himself and one for her, before he nodded to his newfound friends and family.</p><p>                “Thanks for understanding guys,” Tim said. “I’m sure once that cat’s better, Jane’ll be more . . . like herself than she is right now. I promise she’s not this weird social recluse.”</p><p>                He carried the plates of pizza back to their house where he saw Jane, as she kneeled in front of the staircase, and peeled the wallpaper from the side.</p><p>                “What are you doing ?” he asked.</p><p>                “There’s something off about this wallpaper,” she answered. “It’s more raised than the others were. Something’s behind here.”</p><p>                Tim kneeled next to her, and he still held the pizza in his hands.</p><p>                “What do you think it is ?” he asked.</p><p>                “It feels like there’s a handle behind here,” she said. “Maybe they tried to cover up one of those little rooms under the stairs.”</p><p>                Tim shuttered at the thought of a small room under the staircase. The door to the coal bin was under the stairs and the room wasn’t exactly spacious. It was hot, and it felt like he was baking every time he was punished. It would be weeks, trapped in that boiling, tiny room, and he would be covered in soot and starving by the time Jane and the Barnabys would get him out of there.</p><p>                “Well, if there’s a room under there, you’re going in to investigate,” he said. “I can’t do tight spaces.”</p><p>                “I’ll let you know if there’s a carnival under here,” she teased. “Then you’ll know you’re missing out.”</p><p>                He didn’t want to mention the cat and Smokey while she was distracted. This was better than her, panicked and pacing around the dining room. Besides, he was sure Smokey took good care of the other cat.</p><p>                Jane gasped as she indeed unveiled a door. It wasn’t big enough to lead to a staircase, which was somewhat of a comforting thought. That meant there wasn’t a secret basement with a furnace attached, as well as an attic that nobody could get into. When a house had both, that was normally a bad sign.</p><p>                She managed to pull the door open, to unveil a barren room under the stairs. The room could probably fit a mattress inside, and maybe if B. got kicked out of the apartment he lived in, he could crash under their staircase. It reeked of mothballs and cobwebs lined the ceiling. Tim just waited to see a giant spider flop from a web, or a rat run from the shadows, but Jane dove inside anyways.</p><p>                “Jane !!” he exclaimed.</p><p>                “Ugh, it stinks in here,” she complained. “Hey, there’s a tiny door !! Should I open it ?”</p><p>                “What if the plague is inside of it ?” Tim asked. “We might have to saw your legs off !!”</p><p>                “Really, Tim ?” she asked. “The plague ?”</p><p>                “Uh . . . yes !! The plague !!”</p><p>                “I’m opening it,” she stated.</p><p>                She was silent for a moment before she came out, with cobwebs that lined her pinkish – red locks of hair, and tangled themselves in the hinges of her glasses. She had an envelope in one hand and two cute little cat salt shakers in the other. The salt shakers were of a brown cat to resemble the pepper shaker, and a white cat that resembled a salt shaker.</p><p>                “Hold these,” she said.</p><p>                Jane handed Tim the salt and pepper shaker, before she unfolded the envelope and pulled out another slip of paper. It was written in the same writing as the one she had found upstairs in the master bathroom, but this one had a sign – off of initials at the end.</p><p>                “Salt and pepper shakers of a lover’s past, but love is built to last. Grenadine has long since joined us, but Grandpa in you, we trust. Your next clue is hidden where love blooms, where family gathers, in the one room. Signed, M.A and D.M.”</p><p>                “Grandpa . . .” Jane whispered. “Tim, I think the cat was meant for us.”</p><p>                “What do you mean ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “These salt and pepper shakers, they resemble cats, and the brown one looks like the pepper shaker,” Jane explained. “His name is Grandpa.”</p><p>                “That would explain the eyebrows,” Tim joked.</p><p>                “We have to keep Grandpa alive,” Jane whimpered. “It’s what the last couple would’ve wanted.”</p><p>                “How is he doing ?” Tim asked. “Has he woken up yet ?”</p><p>                “He ate a little bit of the wet food B. got him, and drank some of my water,” Jane answered. “But he’s barely moved from the bed.”</p><p>                “Well, the bath took off most of the drywall, and his fur’s going grey,” Tim commented. “He might be old, like Smokey. Give him some time, he’s an old guy and he’s been through a lot today.”</p><p>                “What if he doesn’t make it through the night ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “We did our best, and we made his last few hours comfortable,” Tim explained. “That’s all we can do, Jane. Unless you’re going to beat up the Grim Reaper hockey – style, we can’t really stop . . . <strong><em>that</em></strong> from happening. We called Doctor Staley for the first appointment tomorrow, and if he makes it, Doctor Staley can tell us what’s wrong, and if he’s going to be okay.”</p><p>                She looked towards the dining room, where Smokey was still curled up with one arm around Grandpa. They both looked so peaceful, and that might’ve been the only amount of comfortable rest that poor cat had gotten in who knows how long.</p><p>                She looked back at Tim, as she felt his hands on her shoulders. Jane’s face was filled with concern and worry for both of the cats. She placed her hands atop Tim’s.</p><p>                “Trust me for once, Jane,” he begged. “They’re going to be okay.”</p><p>                “How do you know ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Because you’re a good cat mom, you always have been to Smokey,” Tim explained. “And it takes someone that cares a lot about animals to show this much empathy towards a cat they only met a few hours ago. Neither of them would be here if you didn’t care. Smokey would be a stray and Grandpa would’ve still been stuck in the vents.”</p><p>                Jane still said nothing, but she shut the staircase under the stairwell and leaned back against it.</p><p>                “I really hope you’re right,” she sighed.</p><p>                “I’m always right,” he bragged.</p><p>                “You just finalized a divorce three months ago.”</p><p>                “And I was right to do so.”</p><p>                “Whatever you say, Tim.”</p><p>                He handed her t\one plate of pizza and sat next to her with his own plate. He was happy they had taken the wall down and placed a cardboard slab over the hole in the ground that needed to be re – wooded, because that meant he could comfortably stretch his noodle limbs on the floor.</p><p>                “Can I read the note ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Knock yourself out,” Jane answered.</p><p>                She handed him the slip of paper that had messy cursive scrawled across it.</p><p>                Tim squinted as he began to decipher the handwriting of whoever had written this note.</p><p>                “This looks like Mother’s handwriting,” he shivered.</p><p>                Jane shuttered soon after him and nodded.</p><p>                “It’s creepy, right ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Spooky,” he confirmed. “But what clues are they referring to ? Have you found any more of these little letters ?”</p><p>                “I think it’s for a treasure hunt,” Jane answered. “I don’t get what it’s going to lead to, but I’m sure it’s important if they wanted someone to find it. My question is, Missus Martinez said that they had a son, and maybe even other kids. Why would they just leave something for the new homeowners ?”</p><p>                “Maybe they weren’t close to their kids anymore ?” Tim reasoned. “Sometimes, kids don’t receive an inheritance because their family isn’t close anymore.”</p><p>                “Well, I’ll be fine without one,” Jane claimed. “I can make it on my own, without Melanoff and Nanny’s money.”</p><p>                “You do know that they don’t think money’s the most important thing, right ?” he asked. “Melanoff keeps making candy, not because he likes the money, but because he likes to see kids happy, and Nanny supports him, because making other people happy makes him happy, and seeing other people happy, makes her happy.”</p><p>                “What’s that supposed to mean ?” she asked.</p><p>                “I guess I’m trying to say . . .” Tim hesitated. “They miss you, Jane. Ruth misses you, Nanny misses you, and even Melanoff misses you. You still matter to them, and you make them happy. Thy want the family to come back together again, but they know that you won’t come if they seem like they’re trying to force you to go.”</p><p>                “They haven’t called in years,” Jane stated. “Why should I go out of my way to try and build bridges if they won’t even put in the same effort ?”</p><p>                “Look, Jane, I’m not going to make you do anything,” he said. “But I will tell you that they miss you way more than they’re mad at you. I’m sure if you guys talk things out, and I mean really talk things out, they’ll understand. I’m sure they’re just as tired of fighting as you are, and they’d be excited to know about our baby.”</p><p>                “I’m not putting forward effort that they don’t want to put forward,” Jane stated. “If you want to tell them about the baby, go ahead, but don’t try and bring them over. I’m not ready for everyone to be at my place of peace when I’ve barely even settled.”</p><p>                “Wait, so you’re saying I can talk about the baby at work now ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I can’t really hide it for much longer,” Jane reasoned. “Baggy clothes are only going to work for so long, and I’m sure Melanoff would want to know if you’re putting in paternity leave long ahead of time.”</p><p>                “Paternity leave ?” he asked.</p><p>                “You could get time off for the baby too,” Jane explained. “It takes two to raise a baby, right ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, right, right,” he said. “But <strong><em>I</em></strong> get to take off time <strong><em>too</em></strong> ?”</p><p>                “That’s literally what I just said,” Jane said. “You can get time off, because you’re going to have to adjust to life with a baby, and I might not be able to do everything by myself.”</p><p>                “I don’t have to like . . . wipe your butt, right ?” he asked.</p><p>                Jane gagged at the thought of that.</p><p>                “No !!” she snapped. “Like getting up out of bed, and making a bottle when I’m trying to soothe the baby. I can wipe my own butt, nothing’s going to be wrong with my arms.”</p><p>                “Oh thank the cosmos,” he sighed. “But, bottles ? You’re not going to . . . do the other thing ?”</p><p>                “Breastfeed ? No,” she answered. “That way it’ll be easier to go back to work, because then I don’t have to make sure I made enough milk for the day, or have to hide everything out in public. You can make bottles too – anyone can, and they don’t have to wait for me to make milk for the baby, or help me adjust so I can feed the baby.”</p><p>                “I heard it’s supposed to be a bonding thing,” he claimed. “It helps the baby feel more attachment to their moms, so they have a healthy attachment when they get older.”</p><p>                “You do know that dads can bond with the baby too ?” she asked. “It’s not the feeding part that matters, it’s the contact part. Patience sent me an article saying that more dads are engaging in skin to skin contact with their babies, so the babies and dads can bond too.”</p><p>                “So, it’s the hugs and cuddles that matter ?” he asked.</p><p>                “You can talk to them too, it gets them used to the sound of your voice,” Jane explained.</p><p>                “You hate when I talk to your belly,” he said.</p><p>                “They can’t hear anything you say, and listening to you baby talk to something that isn’t there is weird,” she reasoned. “They can’t hear anything until they’re about six months old.”</p><p>                “It doesn’t hurt to start early,” Tim insisted. “Who knows; they might surprise you and be able to hear earlier.”</p><p>                Jane bit the inside of her cheek and shook her head.</p><p>                “I don’t think they’re going to ‘hear early’,” she denied. “I haven’t even felt a punch or a kick yet.”</p><p>                “I’m sure it’ll be magical when they first start kicking,” he soothed. “It’s like one of the milestones of, instead of having a globby lump of person inside, you’re carrying a life. You’re carrying a tiny person inside of you.”</p><p>                “Cracking idea, Tim,” she teased.</p><p>                “Don’t make fun of me !!” he exclaimed. “It’s cool to think about. Imagine, a little over a year into the future, we’re going to hear little footsteps running around the house, and there’s going to be a tiny human that depends on us and looks up to us. We can teach them about the world and all the things in it. We could tell them about the things that have happened, are happening, and are going to happen, and we could see them grow into a person with their own little brain that we helped shape.”</p><p>                Jane let off a laugh as she shook her head. When it came to family, and lineage, Tim was always a sentimental sucker for it, because the Willoughby legacy was one of the most important things to him. This baby was simply another great Willoughby for the books in his mind, and Jane hoped their baby would be one of the best. They had a lot to live up to, since the bloodline had engineers, artists, philosophers, and noblemen, but Jane knew in her heart, their kid was going to be a special one, or maybe that was what every mother thought about their kid.</p><p>                “You’re definitely going to cry at their graduation,” Jane joked. “Wait, scratch that. You’ll cry at their preschool graduation.”</p><p>                “It’s a big accomplishment !!” he exclaimed. “They know their shapes, alphabet, numbers up to ten, and colors. I work with some people I don’t think know how to count to five.”</p><p>                “Oh, Rick from Marketing might be a little peeved to hear that,” Jane added.</p><p>                “Who cares ?” Tim asked. “It would take a lot of brainpower to figure out I was talking about him. Sarcasm flies right over the guys head. I don’t even think he knows what a joke is.”</p><p>                She leaned onto him and shut her eyes. She was happy that he came back inside, or else her eyes would’ve been glued to the cat bed, instead of being focused on a good time. She wasn’t quite ready to mingle with the neighbors, which was odd, because before the pregnancy, she didn’t mind a chat with others, but now, she hated when she ran into people she knew in public. It was even more embarrassing when Clementine ran into Jane in the medicine aisle at the supermarket, and Jane had to play it off like she wasn’t there for prenatal vitamins.</p><p>                “Jane, look,” Tim whispered.</p><p>                She lifted her head as he nudged the side of her head with his shoulder. She opened her eyes to see that Grandpa had began to lift himself from the bed to walk to the Tupperware of water she had placed for him in the kitchen. Smokey stood and followed behind him, as if to monitor his new friend on his way to get food and water.</p><p>                “I told you he’d be okay,” Tim reassured. “If he keeps improving like this, he’ll be okay by tomorrow.”</p><p>                “You really think so ?” she asked.</p><p>                “I know so,” Tim claimed. “It takes a lot of strength and energy to get up and walk a few steps when you’re sick, and if he has the strength and energy to do so, that’s a good sign.”</p><p>                Smokey lead Grandpa back to the dog bed, before he got into the bed with him and they curled up together.</p><p>                “And even Smokey looks better,” Tim reminded. “He’s helping Grandpa to the bowl and everything.”</p><p>                “Maybe the vet visit tomorrow might go smoother than expected,” Jane said. “They that just means more time we can spend over here, renovating the house. I hope it’s renovated sooner rather than later, then we can start actually moving in.”</p><p>                “We can go and look at wallpaper for the baby’s room, or paint for the baby’s room,” he said. “Whatever you want, but we’re going to have to either get the smell of paint of glue out of their room before they’re born. We can have them already huffing paint when they’re not even a week old.”</p><p>                “That would be quite the disaster now, wouldn’t it ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Not as big of a disaster as the baby growing up to be six foot eight.”</p><p>                “You’re still on that ?”</p><p>                “I have to be able to dunk on our baby. I have to show that I’m the alpha somehow.”</p><p>                “You two are people, not animals,” Jane explained. “Besides, if there was any alpha in this house, it would be me, Jane Florence Elizabeth “The Breadwinner”, “The Head Honcho” Willoughby.”</p><p>                “Nobody calls you that,” Tim said.</p><p>                “Well, they better start,” she responded. “Considering that I’m paying more – I don’t see any lies in those statements.”</p><p>                “You’re impossible, you know that ?”</p><p>                “You still love me.”</p><p>                “Yeah, yeah.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Ambedo / A Moment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕚𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕟 :</p><p>𝔸𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕕𝕠 / 𝔸 𝕄𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                Today was the day. Jane was finally going to tell her staff that she was pregnant and soon would have to leave for a little as well. It was also Willow’s last day at “The Little White Dress”, and she would leave for New Hampshire the following morning. The women closed the shop, as Clementine checked out the last client of the night.</p><p>                “Hey Josephine, after this, do you want to go and grab dinner ?” Olive asked. “That is if you don’t have any plans tonight.”</p><p>                “Where do you want to go ?” Josephine responded. “My husband is off on a business trip, Monica is at her grandma’s, and Victor is staying at a friend’s house tonight, so I don’t have much going on.”</p><p>                Jane surveyed her staff from the bridesmaid loft. It was an odd sense of calm to watch her staff as the began to unwind. It shows that even the girls she worked with – The hardworking, planner Willow, the stoic, no – nonsense Josephine, the chipper, chatty Clementine, the quiet, introverted Olive, and lastly the older, wiser Candace – all have lives of their own. Jane picked up on small details among their conversations, that she never brought up, but always kept in mind.</p><p>                Candace has a granddaughter with down syndrome, Clementine was a mathlete every year of her high school career, Olive loved to go hiking and did so every weekend, Willow always came into work with a mocha from Baker Street Bistro, and Josephine always got giddy at the mention of gardening.</p><p>                It was always nice to know small things, but she never et them in on the fact that she knew of the little personal things about them. Jane felt as if it were weird, as their boss, to know the little things, but she would consider her employees some of her best friends she’s made in her adult life, though she would never say that out loud, or to them. She cared about every single one of them, but she would never let her feelings out at work.</p><p>                Jane went to the staircase and descended down the steps. She peeked into Willow’s office, to see Willow as she loaded the last of her little knick – knacks into a cardboard box. Clementine and Candace talked about Clementine’s plans for the future, if she was going to go to college just yet.</p><p>                Jane placed her hand on her stomach and took in a deep breath. The coat she wore to work that day concealed her bump quite well, but she still wasn’t that big yet, but without something over her clothes, it was obvious that she was pregnant. She also had resorted to flats the past few weeks, which Olive had jokingly pointed out.</p><p>                Jane went and stood at the front of the shop and adjusted her purse against her body, before she took one last look at her staff before she told them the big news.</p><p>                “Goodnight, Jane,” Candace dismissed. “Have a safe trip back home.”</p><p>                “Oh, yeah, and tell your kitties I said hi !!” Clementine exclaimed.</p><p>                They knew the miniscule details of Jane’s inner life, such as the fact that Tim and herself were roommates, that they had officially adopted Grandpa, and that Jane was in the process of moving to the suburbs, but they didn’t know about the incident at the apartments, about the fact that Grandpa had Cushing’s disease, or that she was moving due to her pregnancy.</p><p>                “Actually, before I go, I need to tell you all something,” she stated.</p><p>                Jane walked to the display, where they had replaced the beauty that was the ballgown centerpiece with the taffeta ballgown that she was going to try and convince Patience to get instead.</p><p>                She lifted her purse strap over her head and set her purse down next to her, as her employees gathered around. Willow put her box of belongings on the check out counter and was the last one to join them.</p><p>                “So, as you know, I’m moving to a bigger house, and my brother is living with me,” she started. “I don’t really . . . know where to go from there.”</p><p>                “Did your brother lose his job at the candy factory ?” Candace asked. “If he’s good with numbers, he could always work here.”</p><p>                “It would be nice to officially have someone to take my place once I’m gone,” Willow added. “So far, most of them want to either work remotely or start at a high pay, and I know you wouldn’t want either of those people in the shop.”</p><p>                “Is your new kitty sick ?” Clementine asked. “I have nothing but good things to say about that emergency clinic on Second street. They helped my parakeet with his stress picking when I first got him.”</p><p>                “Is your little brother’s wedding off ?” Olive asked. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind seeing him around here more, ever since he got engaged he’s stopped coming by the shop.”</p><p>                “Okay, first of all, ew,” Jane scolded. “My younger brother’s still getting married, and my older brother’s okay. Everyone’s fine, it’s just . . .”</p><p>                Jane sighed. There would be only two ways they could take this news. Excitement or panic. She wouldn’t be too surprised if they freaked out, since Willow had to go, and that meant most of the workload was on poor Candace. It wasn’t like Candace could do everything by herself. She just had to come out and say it, then deal with everyone’s concerns as they needed to be.</p><p>                “So, for the past three months, I’ve been going through a lot,” she said. “I hate to drop all of this on you all now, especially since Willow has to leave, but I’m going to need to take about two months off at the end of April, May, and maybe even into June.”</p><p>                “Do you have a vacation planned ?” Willow asked.</p><p>                “You never take off for vactations,” Josephine pointed out. “I don’t think I’ve seen you take off for that long ever. Even when you’re sick, you’ve come into work.”</p><p>                “Well, I think you deserve a good vacation, Jane,” Clementine encouraged. “As long as you send us pictures of where you’re going.”</p><p>                “It’s not really a vacation,” she said. “I’m going to be busy the entire time.”</p><p>                “Is it a business trip ?” Candace asked. “I could definitely check to see if I have anything going on if you need me to go with you. I doubt my husband would mind it, he might have a blast without me being here to nag him for awhile.”</p><p>                “It’s not that . . . it’s uh . . .” Jane paused.</p><p>                She stood before her staff and shimmied out of her coat, to reveal the form fitted dress that hugged onto every single one of her curves, especially the most important one. She rubbed her hands on her stomach, to emphasize her point. Jane bit the inside of her cheek before she nodded.</p><p>                “Yeah.”</p><p>                “Oh ?” Olive asked.</p><p>                “Either you ate an entire buffet when for lunch or . . .” Willow started.</p><p>                Clementine let off a loud squeal before she covered her mouth. When she took her hands off her mouth, she revealed a giant, pearly smile.</p><p>                “You’re pregnant !!” Clementine exclaimed. “She’s pregnant, guys !!”</p><p>                “Wait, wait, wait, what ?” Josephine asked. “As an accounting consultant, the math isn’t adding up. You broke up with your ex about three months ago, and you haven’t slept with anyone else . . . unless ?”</p><p>                “<strong><em>Don’t</em></strong> finish that sentence,” Jane refused. “Why is everyone’s first reaction that it’s Tim’s ? I did in – vitro, and that’s how it happened. Everyone has to make it all weird.”</p><p>                “To be fair, I don’t think anyone else thought that, Jane,” Willow soothed. “But, congratulations on your new bundle of joy !! You better post pictures or send them to us when the little guy is born !!”</p><p>                “Oh, come on, Willow,” Candace urged. “She is not having a little boy, she’s carrying too high.”</p><p>                “It looks like she has a basketball under her shirt,” Willow claimed. “I was like that with all of my boys.”</p><p>                “Okay, okay, but the real question is are your feet cold ?” Clementine asked. “If your feet are cold, you’re having a boy.”</p><p>                “That’s so not true,” Olive argued. “My sister had cold feet her entire pregnancy, and she had a girl. Look at her hair, it’s all shiny – she’s having a girl.”</p><p>                “Ladies, the only way Jane’s going to find out what she’s having is when she goes to the doctor for an ultrasound,” Josephine reasoned. “And what really matter is whether or not the baby’s healthy.”</p><p>                “Well, of course we want the baby to be healthy,” Candace explained. “But it’s always exciting to know whether a mommy’s having a little boy or a little girl.”</p><p>                “I honestly don’t mind either way,” Jane claimed. “I mean, what if they’re born a boy, but later on feel better as a girl, or something else ? Regardless of what they are, they’re still my little baby.”</p><p>                “Well, what does your family want you to have ?” Clementine asked. “If your brother’s been putting on a bit of weight, you might be having a girl, because your hormones are affecting him too. It’s sympathy weight.”</p><p>                “Have you seen her brother lately ?” Olive asked. “I saw him at the supermarket last week, and he is still stick thin. But, you can still tell that she’s having a girl because she isn’t as clumsy as she would be if she was having a boy.”</p><p>                “She’s having a boy,” Willow insisted. “You had spicy chicken wings for lunch the other day, and when I had my boys, I always wanted spicy and salty stuff. You have to agree with me on that, Josephine. You always had Fiery Hot Cheese – O’s when you were pregnant with Victor.”</p><p>                “Well, I’ve started to like Hawaiian pizza more,” Jane claimed. “And I hated Hawaiian pizza before I got pregnant.”</p><p>                “See, she’s having a girl,” Candace stated. “Argument over.”</p><p>                “Look, I’m sure that I should get going,” Jane said. “Tim and I still have things to pack so we can move as soon as possible.”</p><p>                “Bye Jane,” Willow dismissed. “Don’t let the little guy keep you up all night.”</p><p>                “Have a nice night, Jane,” Olive dismissed. “Don’t let the little princess give you a hard time.”</p><p>                Jane smiled and shook her head as she left her employees to close up. That went way better than expected. She expected all of them to lose their minds. Even though the main concern was, ‘What was going to happen to Willow’s job if they don’t find a potential candidate in the next few months ?’, it wasn’t anything that was unsolvable. Candace could run more interviews, and Jane could help with the financial situations they encounter until they find Willow’s replacement. As long as her girls were going to be okay, she would be.</p><p>                She got into her car and began to drive back to the apartment, so she and Tim could pack up more and figure out what they were going to eat for dinner that night. They had already packed up the actual plates and cups that Tim insisted they used at every meal ( Thankfully, he did the dishes all the time ), but Jane was sure she had a few paper plates left that they could use.</p><p>                Her car let her know that she had one unread message on her phone, and she tapped on the radio screen.This allowed the text to play over the car’s speakers.</p><p>                “One new message from – Ruth. Glad I had to find out that you’re pregnant from mom and not from you. Congrats.”</p><p>                Jane bit the inside of her cheek and remained silent, so the radio wouldn’t assume she was going to voice text back. She didn’t quite know how to console Ruth, but Jane could tell that she was upset. She had every right to be angry at her, because Jane definitely could’ve at least texted her to let her know. She leaned her hand over and switched her radio off. She still hadn’t warmed up to the idea of the radio getting her trust back, even in her shop. Luckily, Clementine came up with a solution to make a playlist of music, and she downloaded a ton of music on her phone that she used as the shop’s playlist.</p><p>                She soon arrived at the apartment and parked in the parking lot. She exited her car, and always kept an alert watch over her shoulders. She knew the problem was . . . gone, to some extent, but she was more aware that there were problems like that out there, and that they could happen to anyone. Her hands gripped the strap of her purse as she made it inside the building safely. Once she was inside, she felt a billion times safer, there was more people around than when she was outside, and more lights to be able to see around, and nobody could sneak up on her.</p><p>                Jane knew the route up to her apartment, so it didn’t take long for her to get there. The smell of take – out immediately filled her nose upon entrance, and she felt her mouth wetten with saliva. She had been craving pho, or baozi, udon, or even just rice for that matter.</p><p>                “Honey, you’re home !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>                “I am home,” she answered.</p><p>                She turned the corner to see a basket, filled with miscellaneous things and objects, and a box with the logo of Dynamite Dim – Sum atop the lid.</p><p>                “Tim, did you get me a present ?” she asked. “You didn’t have to !!”</p><p>                Her voice was nearly a squeal, and she probably would’ve squealed if she wasn’t as tired as she was from the workday. It was the sweetest surprise she had gotten in an exceptionally long time, and far better than melted ice cream from the supermarket.</p><p>                “Ah, well, you know,” he started. “I wanted to get you something nice, so your last memories of this place aren’t so bad. You spent a long time in this apartment, and t deserves a proper send off.”</p><p>                Jane sat in the chair across from him, and immediately went towards the giant egg shaped thing, that was covered in aluminum foil. The colorful foil read as “Commander Melanoff’s Surprise Egg – Prototype”.</p><p>                “A prototype of the chocolate eggs ?” Jane asked. “Are they going to be this big ?”</p><p>                “Well, no, but this one’s special,” Tim explained. “You can open it up now if you want. I get it if you don’t want to spoil your appetite.”</p><p>                She peeled back the foil, to see a pink and brown chocolate egg. She remembered that there was supposed to be some sort of card inside to connect to the app once it was finished in development, so she assumed the special part was inside the egg. Jane knocked her fist into the egg and cracked a hole into the hollow chocolate shell, before she grabbed what felt like a plastic figurine. She pulled it out of the egg, to see that it was a blush pink hen, with legwarmers, a fluffy head of feathers, eyeliner, a silver electric guitar ( that she rocked her tailfeathers out to ), and a little chick strapped to her chest by a baby carrier.</p><p>                “Tim, is this –“</p><p>                Jane felt around inside of the chocolate eggshell, and pulled out a shiny plastic encased card that read “Jane, The Rock’n’Roll Momma Hen, and her baby, Lima”.</p><p>                Jane began to laugh, and she couldn’t force back the enormous smile that spread  across her face at the realization.</p><p>                “It’s me !!”</p><p>                Tim huffed onto his balled up fist, and acted like he shined his fingers on his shirt, with a smug smirk on his face.</p><p>                “Well, I do have good ideas sometimes.”</p><p>                “This is amazing, she’s totally going up on a shelf when we move into the other place,” Jane commented. “What else’s in here ?”</p><p>                She pulled out a few unisex outfits, that consisted of little leggings, socks, onesies, little jackets, and sleepers. There were a few soft blankets, and a few receiving blankets, along with burp pads. He had bought glass bottles, and a bottle scrubber. Lastly, she pulled out a little moth stuffed animal.</p><p>                “A moth ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Every kid has a teddy bear, and people think that it’s quirky when a kid has a little stuffed duck or raccoon,” Tim explained. “I saw a moth and knew that our baby had to have it, so they’ll stick out a little more.”</p><p>                “Ah, got it,” Jane agreed. “You really thought of everything, did you ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, so now we have a few things if the baby comes early,” Tim stated. “We’re prepared a little bit, and they can sleep in the bed with one of us until we get them a crib.”</p><p>                “Well, the baby’s not coming for a solid few more weeks,” Jane claimed. “Remember, I’m only thirteen weeks along. The earliest the baby could possibly come and maybe be okay is about twenty – five weeks.”</p><p>                “And we’ll be prepared if they come at twenty – five weeks,” Tim confirmed. “How little are they at twenty – five weeks ?”</p><p>                “According to my doctor, roughly about the size of a rutabaga,” she said. “However big a rutabaga might be. I don’t think I’ve actually seen one in person before.”</p><p>                “We should go to the health foods market,” Tim proposed. “We could see more healthy foods that could be blended up for baby food, and I could show you what a rutabaga looks like.”</p><p>                “Sounds like a plan,” Jane confirmed. “My doctor wants me to start eating healthier too. It just sucks because I can’t eat stuff like sushi, and coffee is super frowned upon unless it’s decaf.”</p><p>                “Healthy food isn’t that bad, there’s still some variety,” Tim said. “You have spinach, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, chicken – all kinds of stuff.”</p><p>                “Does fried chicken count ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Uhm, I mean, it’s covered in grease and a bunch of other stuff,” he mentioned. “But if you get an entire bucket of fried chicken to yourself, I’m not going to stop you.”</p><p>                “It’s not like you can anyways,” she teased. “But, I do like those smoothies you make us every morning, so if we find more recipes like that, I’m sure I’ll be more on board with the whole, not being able to eat whatever I want, thing.”</p><p>                “Pin – It has ideas and recipes a plenty,” he encouraged. “It won’t take me long to find at least ten smoothies I want to try or I want to make for you.”</p><p>                “Good, because I can only drink orange smoothies for so long before I get bored,” she said. “I think the baby’s getting pretty bored of orange smoothies too.”</p><p>                “I’ll be on the lookout for some other smoothies,” Tim claimed. “Does a yellow or blue smoothie sound good to you ? I used to make these smoothies for Queen and myself, and they were a tropical smoothie and a blueberry smoothie. I thought they were pretty good.”</p><p>                “Let’s try the blueberry smoothie,” Jane answered. “I think I want to get away from the citrus – y kinds of smoothies for awhile before I try another one.”</p><p>                “Blueberry smoothie it is,” he said. “I think that would work better for you right now anyway. It’s a mellower smoothie and it won’t make your stomach super upset.”</p><p>                “At least my morning sickness has calmed down,” she claimed. “I’m glad all that’s over with. I was so tired of being nauseated all day. Now all I have to worry about is avoiding onions so I don’t puke everywhere. I just about had it the other day when Clementine came into the shop with onion rings for lunch.”</p><p>                “Oh, that must’ve sucked,” he agreed. “A. told me that he ate some chocolate cake with milk the other day and felt some sympathy for you.”</p><p>                “It’s not like I choose to vomit around onions,” Jane argued. “A. knew damn well that was going to make him sick and he did it anyway.”</p><p>                “But that’s A. for you,” Tim reminded. “He’ll put himself into trouble and wonder how he got there, like that one time he kept putting his phone charger in his mouth to figure out why it hurt so bad when he did. I’m glad he discovered electricity, but I wish he had done it in a smarter way.”</p><p>                “We all wished he was a bit smarter,” Jane said. “Well, I think wiser is the term we’re looking for, because he’s really smart, but the things he does sometimes . . .”</p><p>                Tim nodded in agreement.</p><p>                “I hope our kid has a little more common sense about them than that,” Tim sighed. But for Patience and A.’s kids ?”</p><p>                “Those poor things are doomed !!” Jane exclaimed.</p><p>                Both Willoughby siblings laughed at their observations. Patience and A. were amazing people, with big hearts and a lot of love to give ( even if a lot of A.’s love went to Patience and himself ), but sometimes they were both as dumb as a mud fence. Maybe that’s what made them so perfect for eachother, because any other person would get tired of Patiene’s inherent stereotypical blondeness and A.’s absurd thought processes. It got to everyone eventually, but they never seemed to get too tired of eachother.</p><p>                “Maybe if B. has kids, they’d make up for the amount of chaos that A.’s kids cause,” Tim suggested.</p><p>                “Who would B. have kids with ?” Jane asked. “Himself ?”</p><p>                “Well, doesn’t that Olive chick like A. ?” Tim asked. “She could always settle for his twin brother.”</p><p>                “I didn’t even know that until today !!” Jane exclaimed. “How did you know ?”</p><p>                “Jane, she flirts with him every chance she gets,” Tim pointed out. “Did you read the comments under his and Patience’s engagement announcement on Pictogram ? She actually said, ‘If this doesn’t work out, hit me up, hot stuff’.”</p><p>                “Oh my god, she <strong><em>said</em></strong> that ?” Jane asked. “Patience is lucky she’s a little ditzy, or else Olive would’ve had her ass hung above the mantlepiece.”</p><p>                “Yeah, she totally did,” Tim confirmed. “And when he’d help load dresses into the store, she was feeling on his arms and stuff. She would’ve melted if the dodo took off his shirt.”</p><p>                “Oh my <strong><em>god</em></strong> !!” jane laughed. “She had it <strong><em>bad</em></strong> !!”</p><p>                “I can’t believe you didn’t notice the entire time,” Tim said. “She was so obvious about it that it was crazy, boarding creepy obsessive.”</p><p>                “I wonder if A. knew,” Jane pondered. “I wonder if he knew, but decided to pursue Patience instead.”</p><p>                “Either he really loves Patience or he is the most oblivious man I’ve met,” Tim said. “Not that I don’t think he sees something in Patience, because she is nice.”</p><p>                “And an upgrade from Fannie Martinelli,” Jane added.</p><p>                “Oh yeah, she’s a total upgrade from that freakin’ basket case,” Tim agreed. “He could’ve dated a heaping pile of steaming garbage that he drew a face on and it would’ve still been a major upgrade.”</p><p>                “Patience said that she saw her the other day,” Jane said. “I just hope that his crazy ex doesn’t crash the wedding and ruin it for them.”</p><p>                “That would be an actual disaster,” Tim said. “Unless A. still likes that beast of a girl.”</p><p>                “I sure hope not,” Jane responded. “He and Patience are perfect for eachother.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Anchorage Of Today</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕚𝕩𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕟 :</p><p>𝔸𝕟𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕆𝕗 𝕋𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕪</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                Jane awoke to the buzzes of her phone, it seemed like a million text messages filled her screen and she squinted enough to see the date. November Second. Her birthday. She smiled at the realization, because she knew this birthday was going to be better than the last. Troy wasn’t there to make her day horrible, she didn’t have work that day, and that day was a Saturday.</p><p>                Jane began to read through the texts on her phone, from her coworkers, her brothers, and Patience.</p><p>                “Willow – Happy B – Day, momma !! I’m having one glass of wine tonight on you !! Hopefully you can find someone to watch the little man next time around, so you can party.”</p><p>                “Clementine – Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday, Jane !! Thinking of you and your family on this #blessed morning !!”</p><p>                “Candace - Happy birthday, boss. Have a lovely day.” And two heart emojis.</p><p>                “Josephine – Happy birthday, Jane !! Have a good one, because it’s back to work on Monday. I got a call for a huge bridemaid order, and it might kick our butts.”</p><p>                “Olive – It’s your birthday today, and I think I’m supposed to tell you happy birthday ? Anyways, happy birthday !! Will you move out of the road, you moron !! Sorry, voice text. Anyways, happy birthday !!”</p><p>                “A. – Happy birthday, dumb – dumb. I hope to see you down at the new house later tonight, that’ll make sense if you read Patience’s text first.”</p><p>                “B. – Happy birthday, sis !! I will show mercy, just this once, and tell you not to come and work on the house today. Luckily, Randy and Bea offered to help with the kitchen, and their sons are going to help Patience paint the living room from that puke green to white.”</p><p>                “Patience – Happy birthday, girly !! I hope you have an amazing day, because later, I want you down here at the house. We got a surprise for y’all !!”</p><p>                The door to the master bedroom swung open, and she was met with Tim, a dining tray in his hands. The tray had a paper plate with French toast ( covered in strawberries, syrup, and powdered sugar ), a glass of milk, and a sliced up orange. He gave her a huge smile as he placed the tray on her lap.</p><p>                “Happy birthday !!” he exclaimed. “How does it feel to be twenty – seven ?”</p><p>                “Not much different than twenty – six,” she answered. “Does it feel different to be twenty – nine ?”</p><p>                “Ask me that question next September,” he said. “I’ll finally be in my dirty thirties.”</p><p>                “Jeez, we’re almost thirty,” she sighed. “I thought life was going to be way different when I was this old.”</p><p>                “Me too,” he said. “I thought I’d have two kids, and would still be living in the cozy brownstone Queen and I called home, but everything changes in an instant. Now I’m moving into the house of our dreams, with you, and this little lima bean.”</p><p>                He placed his hand on her stomach; a movement she was now comfortable with only Tim doing without her permission. She wasn’t quite ready to let anyone else do it, regardless of how much Bea and Patience begged to “feel the little life she was blessed with”.</p><p>                Jane picked up her plastic fork and began to dig into her breakfast, as Tim laid next to her and continued to feel her stomach.</p><p>                “We find out next appointment, right ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Find what out ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Whether they’re a Taffeta or a Keith.”</p><p>                “Yeah, but . . .” Jane swallowed. “I was thinking . . . maybe we bring A. along ? He’s probably tired of being dragged around to flower shops and craft stores to find stuff for the wedding. Maybe we should let him have reign over a gender reveal, and he gets to plan a cool party that doesn’t involve bridemaid corsages and groomsmen boutonnieres.”</p><p>                “You really think he’d be on board with that ?” Tim asked. “Don’t you think he’d need someone to mediate what goes on ? Someone more grounded ? The cosmos knows that Patience will only hype him up to do crazier stuff.”</p><p>                “We can give him a checklist with the things he absolutely needs planned,” Jane explained. “Food, drinks, games, party favors.”</p><p>                “Party favors ?” Tim asked. “Would adults want party favors ?”</p><p>                “Don’t underestimate how hungry adults can be,” Jane insisted. “I know every girl I work with would totally accept a bag of candy, and if anybody brings their kids along, the kids would love to have candy.”</p><p>                “Who would we invite ?” he asked. “I know you aren’t ready for Nanny or Melanoff to come over yet, but who would you be comfortable having over ?”</p><p>                “It would only be fair to invite Randy and Bea, they helped so much with the house, it would be kind of rude not to have them over,” Jane explained. “And of course, I’m inviting the girls from my work and their families.”</p><p>                “I could invite Ruth, and if she needs a ride, either B. or I can bring her over,” Tim added. “But with the way she’s been towards you, I wouldn’t . . . I wouldn’t get my hopes up.”</p><p>                Jane sighed at the thought. He had a point. Even though this was a very important event in her life, she knew Ruth was upset with her, and she also knew that her gender reveal, in front of their friends and family, was not the place to sort out family business. She wanted her family there, but she knew matters would need to be discussed privately first, and she simply wasn’t <strong><em>ready</em></strong> to talk to her family, not for them, but for <strong><em>herself</em></strong>.</p><p>                She felt him slide up closer to her on the bed, before his arm was around her shoulders.</p><p>                “Hey,” he soothed. “I’m sure you’ll be able to talk to them eventually, even if that day isn’t today, or tomorrow, or even a year from now.”</p><p>                She leaned on him and smiled to herself.</p><p>                “You think so ?”</p><p>                “I know so.”</p><p>                She didn’t shove his face into the statement, or call him out for being smug. While normally, when Timothy Anthony Malachy Willoughby said he knew something, he tried to claim that he knew everything, she could tell that this time he didn’t mean it that way. The statement was . . . comforting.</p><p>                She didn’t know what she would do without him.</p><p>                But don’t let him know that.</p><p>                “I have a big day planned for us,” he said. “I got us a full spa day booked; facials, massages, mani – peddies, and they’re even letting us get our hair and your makeup done there. Then, we’re going to go to the three o’clock showing of ‘Drive By Three ; Diamonds Don’t Last Forever’.”</p><p>                “You really did have the entire day planned out,” Jane noted. “I feel bad that all we did was watch ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’ and invite A., Patience, and B. over for cake and ice cream for your birthday.”</p><p>                “Don’t even worry about it,” he reassured. “There’s always next year, and considering I’m turning <strong><em>thirty</em></strong>, I think that’s an appropriate time for a birthday bash.”</p><p>                “Well, I better get started on planning your thirty year birthday blowout,” Jane stated. “How does a trip to the Suncrest Inn sound ?”</p><p>                “I would love nothing more,” he joked. “But, hang on, I got you a present that you can open now.”</p><p>                He got up from the bed and left the room, before he came back with a shiny red bag that was stuffed with white tissue paper. Tim placed it on Jane’s lap, before he sat at the end of the bed. His eyes were wide and full of anticipation as he giddily watched her open her present.</p><p>                She tossed the tissue paper to the side, before she pulled out a svelte, grey sweater dress, leggings, shiny sheepskin boots, and a golden necklace with a charm of her name.</p><p>                “Tim !!” she exclaimed. “This is such a cute outfit !! Oh my god, thank you !!”</p><p>                “I hoped you’d like it,” he chuckled. “It was hard picking something out for you, because I wanted to get you something you didn’t already own. I was thinking about getting you a pastel blue blouse, but I knew you’d break my neck on sight if I got you something like that.”</p><p>                “You’re right about that,” Jane teased. “You know me so well, way better than Troy. Can you believe I wanted to marry that man ?”</p><p>                Tim snorted at the notion. He was so glad that she didn’t end up in an awful marriage with that scumbag, even if he was the one that cut the ties loose of the relationship. Jane was an independent lady, and she bloomed so much in the past few months than she did in the years long relationship she had with that sleeze. He finally had his sister back, and Tim couldn’t possibly be happier to be part of this adventure with her.</p><p>                Jane bit her lip and looked towards her nightstand.</p><p>                “How . . . are you feeling about Queen ?” she asked.</p><p>                “What about her ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Are you okay with the fact that you two are divorced ?” Jane asked. “You don’t want to go back to her at all, right ? I mean, I guess I’d try to get it if you wanted to . . .”</p><p>                Tim let off a ‘psh’, before he shook his head.</p><p>                “Look, I miss the comfort of being able to say that I’m married, but I feel like . . . a life like this is better for me,” he claimed. “It was dark before I moved here, and I felt like there was no way out of this dead end. I felt stuck, until I moved here. It took me a little, but I actually like being here with you, and our little lima bean more than I did with the old battleaxe.”</p><p>                She opened her drawer, and pulled out a shoebox, that was decorated to be a memory box. Jane pulled out something that was dull, but still unmistakably metallic. She held it up in front of his face.</p><p>                His wedding ring.</p><p>                Tim’s eyes widened upon the sight of it again, but oddly enough . . . he didn’t feel happy. He didn’t feel anything really. It was nearly foreign to him. It was weird to see the thing that once held seven years of memories, and held emotional weight that he thought he’d carry with him forever.</p><p>                Then he saw Jane’s face, and her eyes were about to overflow with tears.</p><p>                “What about now ?”</p><p>                She sounded like she was about to choke, or cry, but she sniffled.</p><p>                “I just wanted you to feel better. I – I’m <strong><em>sorry</em></strong> I tried to force you to feel better, but I thought . . . if I took away the <strong><em>ring</em></strong>, I’d take away your <strong><em>pain</em></strong>, because . . .”</p><p>                He couldn’t stand to see her cry, and he immediately pulled her into a hug, and felt himself begin to well up too. As long as she didn’t finish it, he was sure he was going to be fine. He got the message, but the thought of it being said aloud would’ve been the thing to break him.</p><p>                “<strong><em>I couldn’t stand to see you hurt anymore</em></strong> !!”</p><p>                That was it.</p><p>                He cried and he squeezed her in tight, and he didn’t know if the feeling was for him or for her, but he indeed squeezed, and smushed her into a tight hug. He allowed her to let out her cries and her sobs, and he simply had to do the same so he could talk to her and not break down midsentence himself.</p><p>                Once he finally gathered the strength and the courage, he lifted her back up and used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her bright red cheeks and puffy eyes. He bit his lips together and head her head up.</p><p>                “Jane . . . listen to me,” he whispered. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”</p><p>                “I – I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take it from you, I know it’s important to you –“</p><p>                He picked up the ring from the sheets and examined it once more.</p><p>                “You know what . . . <strong><em>fuck this ring</em></strong>.”</p><p>                He threw it into the bag that Jane pulled her clothes out of, with the knowledge that that bag was headed to the garbage. He brought Jane back into another hug, and allowed her to rest on his chest.</p><p>                “That ring carries so many memories of such bad times in my life, and I need to move past it. Queen’s moved on, and I know I can too. These past few months with you have been the best few months I’ve had in a long time. I finally have you back, and my sister will always matter more than some other girl. I lost sight of that. I lost sight of you. I wouldn’t trade these past few months in for anything in the world. Jane, I want to be with you for as long as you’ll let me, because –“</p><p>                “What would I ever do without you ?” she asked.</p><p>                They were quiet for a moment, before Tim nodded and sighed.</p><p>                “Y’know, Randy and Patience told me something the other day, and I can’t stop thinking about it,” he started. “Soulmates aren’t always romantic.”</p><p>                “Oh ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Yeah.”</p><p>                “That’s a nice thought,” she said.</p><p>                “Yeah,” he agreed. “It is.”</p><p>                He cringed at the fact that he didn’t tell her the complete sentence, but she was already wound up as is. He wanted to tell her the entire thing, because it’s how he honestly felt, but he knew his sister. She probably wouldn’t be able to take much more strong emotions for the day without self – destructing.</p><p>                “We should get ready,” Tim suggested. “The spa isn’t going to hold our appointment forever.”</p><p>                “You have a point there,” Jane agreed. “Now shoo, so I can put on this outfit.”</p><p>                The Willoughby siblings got dressed and met eachother by the front door. Tim had decided to wear a button up, tie, and slacks, while Jane put a cashmere coat over her body so they could venture into the crisp, cold New York weather without frostbite. They ended up taking Jane’s car, as Jane’s car was sleek and shiny in comparison to Tim’s soccer mom station wagon. He was the one that drove them down to a fancy looking spa on Sixth Street called “Bubbles Day Spa”.</p><p>                Tim lead Jane inside, where a bunch of women and a few men worked, and checked himself and Jane in for their spa day together. They were given clipboards to have a bit of choice as well as allow the spa workers to know of any pre – existing medical conditions ( and by ‘pre – existing medical conditions’, that meant Jane’s pregnancy ). Soon, they were lead into a dimly lit room by a man and a woman. The room was illuminated by candles, and smelled of rose water. They were handed soft, silk robes, and instructed to change into their robes for the remainder of their spa session.</p><p>                “You turn and face the wall when I change, and I’ll do the same for you,” Jane said.</p><p>                “You got yourself a deal,” Tim agreed.</p><p>                They both changed into their robes, careful not to peek at the other and waited for the massage therapists to come back in and greet them on the tables. Sheets were laid over them so nothing could potentially be exposed while they underwent full body massages.</p><p>                “Hello Mister and Missus Willoughby,” the female massage therapist greeted. “We’re Jack and Dana, and we will be guiding you on your tour of relaxation today.”</p><p>                “Please let us know if anything is painful during your massage, if you need us to apply more pressure or less pressure on certain areas,” The male, assumedly Jack, said. “We want your visit with us to be as soothing as possible, so do not hesitate to let us know how you’re feeling.”</p><p>                Both of them applied lotion to their hands before they went to work on the Willoughby siblings’ backs. Jack was assigned to Tim and Dana was assigned to Jane, respectively. Their fingertips were pressed into the siblings’ backs, as they did deep and long kneeds all towards the centers of their bodies.</p><p>                “I read on your chart that you’re expecting, Missus Willoughby ?” Dana asked. “Do you know what you’re having yet ?”</p><p>                “Mmh, we don’t know yet,” Jane answered. “We’re going to find out really soon though.”</p><p>                “It seems the dad tension has already set into your shoulders, Mister Willoughby,” Jack whispered. “You’re very tense.”</p><p>                Tim sighed at the feeling of Jack’s hands in his shoulders. He hadn’t had a good massage in . . . ever. He was always on the giving end, as he would give Jane foot and back massages on the couch as they binged trash T.V, and when he was still married, Queen would expect massages on the regular, since she worked at a big law firm, and he was just the esquire for a candy company. He had a degree in law too, damn it !!</p><p>                “So, how long have you two been together ?” Dana asked.</p><p>                An alarm set off in both siblings’ heads as they looked towards eachother.</p><p>                “Wait, do they think we’re married ?” Jane mouthed silently.</p><p>                “I think she’s been saying ‘Missus’ the entire time,” Tim mouthed back.</p><p>                “We’re too far to go back now !!” Jane mouthed.</p><p>                “What are you gonna do ?” Tim mouthed.</p><p>                Jane let off a sigh and allowed herself to get immersed in her massage once again.</p><p>                “Highschool sweethearts, been together since my freshman year and his junior year,” Jane answered. “But we got married a month after I graduated.”</p><p>                “We had a wedding in the mountains,” Tim added. “It rained but the ceremony was still amazing.”</p><p>                Jane smiled to herself. She knew if anyone could formulate a great lie with her, it would be Tim. A. and B. were simply too jittery and would say the dumbest things when put under pressure.</p><p>                “That sounds lovely,” Jack commented. “Where did you guys honeymoon at ?”</p><p>                Jane was about to answer, but Tim took the question under his wing, which caught her off – guard.</p><p>                “Bora Bora,” he answered. “We had the best view of the ocean, and she brought this gorgeous white cardigan that she wore over a bathing suit she bought specifically for the honeymoon.”</p><p>                “Uh . . . yeah !!” Jane exclaimed. “We went swimming in the ocean, and a piece of seaweed touched his feet. I’ve never seen someone freak out so bad over stray seaweed.”</p><p>                “One time, I went to the beach, and a manta ray climbed onto my back,” Jack said. “It was the slipperiest and slimiest thing I had ever felt, and it was heavy. I didn’t think they would weigh that much.”</p><p>                “I go fishing with my family sometimes,” Dana claimed. “My sister once caught a catfish with a fist full of chum and threw it onto the boat. It was one of the best fish fries my family ever had.”</p><p>                “With her bare fist ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                The image of ground up fish goop in someone’s bare hands was a rather gross image that set into Jane’s mind. As she thought about it more, she decided that it couldn’t be much worse than the pate she would serve Smokey and Grandpa, even if the pates still reeked of miscellaneous meats the packages claimed were beef or chicken. Jane’s had pate before, and the cat pate was not beef or chicken.</p><p>                “Yes, with her bare fist,” Dana confirmed. “But she washed her hands afterwards. Chum under inch long acrylics don’t mix.”</p><p>                “We saw manta rays in Bora Bora,” Tim lied. “They were enormous, so I wouldn’t doubt they were heavy.”</p><p>                Tim let off a shutter at the feeling of hot stones, as they were placed on his back, and Jane soon followed with nearly the same reaction.</p><p>                “Hot stones,” Jack stated. “They help loosen your muscles, and allow the tension to flow from your body, so you can relax.”</p><p>                “By the end of this, you’ll feel nearly reborn,” Dana soothed. “Your bodies will be good as new.”</p><p>                “Do you two have any plans for after this,” Jack asked. “It’s such a cloudy day, I would go home and curl up with a big blanket and hot cocoa, and you two have someone to cuddle with.”</p><p>                “How did you end up with this bombshell, Mister Willoughby ?” Dana asked.</p><p>                If Jane wasn’t on her stomach, with someone’s hands on her back, she would’ve flipped her hair and thanked her. She truly did feel like a bombshell with the new outfit Tim bought her, and the luxurious robe she was currently in.</p><p>                “I don’t know,” he answered. “Fate, perhaps.”</p><p>                “But how did you guys meet ?” Jack insisted.</p><p>                Tim looked to Jane, and gave her the look to let her know that it was her turn to worm their way out of this question and lie to the poor guy.</p><p>                “He was this giant, gangly, beanstalk of a guy in my Phys. Ed. class, and our coach partnered us up for warmups,” Jane lied. “I thought he was so dorky, but when he started to sweat through his shirt and the sweat was on his forehead, I got these . . . butterflies.”</p><p>                She had to stop there, or else she would bust into a giggle fit of how cheesy that entire sentence was, but she had to tap into her inner Patience and think of the most sappy, and cringe – inducing love talk she could imagine, after all Tim had to pretend to be her doting hubby. She heard a giggly snort escape from Tim.</p><p>                “What was the first date like ?” Dana questioned.</p><p>                Jane looked at Tim, and gave him the “You’re up, buddy” look. He was better at coming up with the sappier, romantic scenarios. Maybe the seven years of misery did pay off, because he was totally delusional for a few of them. He really thought that grizzly bear in a pantsuit actually cared about anything other than having a free maid and homemaker. The only time Queen seemed to actually care was over the fact that Tim couldn’t have kids of his own, and even then, it was because she wanted her own kids, and he simply had the parts to make them.</p><p>                “I took her out to Ham Bros.,” he said. “We sat on a bench outside and talked about everything we could’ve. I was doing great at work, and she was nervous about what was going to happen at her job, but she’s always great at everything she does, so I knew she had it, deep in the back of my mind. But I realized on that date, that there was nobody else out there for me, and that she was the one I wanted to be with the rest of my life.”</p><p>                “What about your first kiss ?” Jack asked.</p><p>                “Was it romantic ?” Dana asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, honey,” Tim teased. “What was it like for you ?”</p><p>                Jane felt her heart fall into her stomach, or her stomach leap into her throat. Either way, there was something somewhere it wasn’t supposed to be. She wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there forever, because why on earth would she be the one with this question. Her eyes widened and she looked at Tim, and she begged him with her face to take this one. She didn’t even feel much when she kissed Troy, it felt like she kissed a wall. There weren’t any butterflies or sparks, and her first kiss was the most anticlimactic kiss in the entire world.</p><p>                “I – I don’t know, dear,” she managed. “What was it like for you ?”</p><p>                “I think they’re asking you,” Tim said.</p><p>                Jane thought for a moment, and scrounged her brain for ideas. Her first kiss with Troy was in his bedroom, on his bed. The room reeked of teenage cologne and . . . guy. He had up stupid posters of models in bikinis or pictures from video game magazines. He was too handsy and used way too much tongue. His mom was downstairs as she made hot dogs and macaroni. They were supposed to be studying for their History test, but instead she got her face sucked off by some inexperienced loser. One thing that really stuck out about that night, because it was the only good thing, was a soft, yet heated country song played on his dumb alarm clock radio.</p><p>                “My dad was off on a business trip, and my mom was dead asleep,” Jane started. “I got a text from him to sneak out of the house that night, and I did. He was in front of my house, with his dumb station wagon, and we ended up driving all the way out into the countryside.”</p><p>                Tim quirked an eyebrow in inquisition at this story Jane managed to come up with. It was oddly romantic, and he couldn’t have come up with it on his own. He wondered what her first kiss was like, because it was a story he had never knew. His first kiss with Queen was a major let down. She gave him a quick peck on the lips and told him not to get used to it. He never did. Tim could probably count how many times on two hands that he and Queen kissed in their entire seven years of marriage.</p><p>                “We saw the city lights, and you could hear the crickets and frogs. We talked the night away, about what seemed to be everything and nothing all at once,” she continued. “And eventually it led to me on his lap in the driver’s seat. It was like I was on fire and he was the bad desire that could put that flame out, but it only burned brighter.”</p><p>                Tim’s eyes widened in response to that, but he knew he had to agree with her. He cleared his throat and nodded, his face turned a bright red. Luckily, he was face down on the massage table so nobody could see how flustered he had gotten from Jane’s lie.</p><p>                “That’s how good it was for you ?” he asked. “Wow, if I had known that, I would’ve put a baby in you years ago.”</p><p>                Jane felt herself heat up. She wanted to curl up into a ball and fidget. It took everything in her system to not burst out into an obnoxious, nervous laughter fit. That was quite the most <strong><em>graphic</em></strong> story she had told, and it was about <strong><em>Tim</em></strong>. These nosy massage therapists better believe that story or she would’ve walked out. One thing she could still take away was that it gave her a rush, and pumped adrenaline into her system, which was incredibly pleasant. It was much better than when she would cry on the toilet for a good hour like every birthday before.</p><p>                “Ugh, don’t say it like <strong><em>that</em></strong> !!” she exclaimed. “I’m sure these people don’t want to hear about that.”</p><p>                Tim let off a laugh as the massage therapists finished up the massage.</p><p>                “The massage portion is over, but next we’ll lead you to the facial chairs,” Dana explained.</p><p>                “We’ll give you two time to readjust to your robes and bring back some foam flip flops for you to wear around the spa,” Jack explained.</p><p>                Both therapists left the room, and left Tim and Jane by themselves.</p><p>                They turned to face away from eachother in order to put their robes back up to cover everything.</p><p>                “I seriously hate you right now,” Jane laughed.</p><p>                “Nobody told you to be that graphic with it !!” Tim teased. “You’re <strong><em>nasty</em></strong>.”</p><p>                Both of them laughed at the massive lies they pulled off to the poor, unsuspecting massage therapists. They both turned after they readjusted their robes and gave eachother a high – five.</p><p>                “You’re the one that said ‘<strong><em>I would’ve put a baby in you years ago</em></strong>’,” she justified. “<strong><em>That</em></strong> was <strong><em>gross</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “Only because you said you were <strong><em>straddling</em></strong> my <strong><em>lap</em></strong> !!” Tim argued. “<strong><em>That</em></strong> was gross !! Where did you even come up with that ? Was Troy like that ?”</p><p>                “Hell no,” she answered. “My first kiss was in his room, and I had Celeste McMilk in a bikini, looking me dead in the eye as he went all lizard – y on my face. It smelled like bro and Fiery Hot Cheese – O’s in there. There was this song that played on the radio and that’s what I pulled the story from.”</p><p>                “I have to hear this song now,” he insisted. “My first kiss was super boring too, so that’s why I handed the story to you. I assumed that Troy was a bit less prudish than Queen was. She didn’t give me more than a peck and then told me not to get used to it.”</p><p>                “I’m glad you’re over her,” Jane said. “I wouldn’t have had a birthday nearly this fun if you were still stuck with that shark in heels. Thank you for giving me such a great birthday.”</p><p>                “You’re welcome,” he responded. “But, I’m glad you and that slimeball in a hockey jersey aren’t together anymore. Not to bring up sappy stuff again, but these past few months really have been the best few months I’ve had in a really long time.”</p><p>                Jane gave him a pout before she pushed his shoulder.</p><p>                “Tim, stop,” she whined. “You’re being too damn nice today.”</p><p>                “You deserve to have a nice day,” he insisted. “After all the crap you’ve been through the past few months, nice days always make things better.”</p><p>                “Troy never did any nice things for me,” Jane sighed. “He would get mad over the dumbest stuff, and every birthday, he’d point out that I was getting older. I mean, I know we’re not old, but being told you look old really makes you feel old and . . . you know ?”</p><p>                “If it makes you feel any better, you’re still one of the prettiest girls I know,” he claimed. “I don’t want you to forget that you’re a bombshell on the inside and out. I really do blame fate for putting us back together again.”</p><p>                “You’re pretty great too,” she responded. “Even with that dumb bowlcut.”</p><p>                “Oh, come on, we don’t spend that much on me getting haircuts,” he insisted. “You have to admit that it’s cost – efficient and practical.”</p><p>                “Cost – efficient,” she agreed. “But I will only let you win cost – efficient.”</p><p>                “You’re a pretty mean wife, you know that, right ?”</p><p>                “Well, dear, I’m not the one that handed the baton for a kissing story over to the one that hates kissing.”</p><p>                They both started to laugh as Dana and Jack returned with pink, foam flipflops and two wicker baskets.</p><p>                “If you’d like a place to put your clothes in a place that’s safe for the remainder of your visit, feel free to put them in these baskets and we’ll put them in a safe spot,” Dana explained. “We promise nobody else will touch them or put their hands on them and they will be under careful security.”</p><p>                Jane and Tim picked up their clothes from the loveseat in the room and folded them into a form that could be placed in the two baskets without them getting wrinkled and jumbled up. Both siblings sat in the loveseat in order to put the foam flip flops onto their feet.</p><p>                They were lead out of the room, and sat into two facial chairs, while Jack and Dana went to take their clothes to the safe space they said they would. Once they returned, they wrapped Tim and Jane’s hair into a bandana wrap, so they could have more access to the Willoughby siblings’ faces.</p><p>                Their hands were cold as they checked out the condition of Tim and Jane’s faces, to see what types of facials they would need to give their respective sibling and if they would have to do any extractions for blackheads or pimples.</p><p>                “Well, Mister Willoughby, your face is oily, so we might want to start with a cucumber, water – based toner,” Jack explained. “It will lessen some of the oils but still give a youthful glow to your face.”</p><p>                “And Missus Willoughby, you have puffy eyes and dark circles,” Dana claimed. “Those are common among expecting mothers, due to the lack of sleep. We can always start you off with cooling under eye patches to reduce swelling and brighten the area.”</p><p>                “Sure,” Tim said. “Go for it.”</p><p>                “Whatever gets rid of these things,” Jane agreed. “It would be awesome to look like I got a full night’s sleep.”</p><p>                Jack grabbed the bottle of toner and began to apply it onto Tim’s face, and he massaged it deep into his skin, which caused Tim to let off a pleased sigh.</p><p>                Dana opened a plastic package and pulled out two jelly, moon shaped pads that she applied under her eyes and Jane let off a shiver at the minty tingle under her eyes.</p><p>                “We were thinking about your stories,” Dana started. “You guys are really like . . . a super romantic couple.”</p><p>                “Normally girls come in here alone to get away from their husbands,” Jack claimed. “It’s nice when couples come in together. It shows that there’s still hope in this world. People seem so detached from eachother anymore.”</p><p>                “I don’t think I’ve physically gotten any Hanukkah presents from my family in the past few years,” Dana claimed. “We usually just Zip – Pay eachother money.”</p><p>                That’s normally what Jane did, or she’d drop off unlabeled presents on their porches very early in the morning before she retreated back to her house and watched Christmas movies while she baked cookies and drank hot cocoa with  a shot of vodka for the holiday cheer. She would receive texts, much like she did this morning, but the only presents she would get was from web shopping. It was nothing like the Christmases from when they were young.</p><p>                “Christmases are one of my favorite times of the year,” Tim claimed. “I’m just glad I get to spend this one, and many others with someone I really care about.”</p><p>                Both siblings looked at eachother and smiled.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. After Midsummer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕟 :</p><p>𝔸𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕄𝕚𝕕𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕣</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                They pulled into the front of their house on Rosevalle, and saw that the lights were on inside, but there were curtains in the way. That was strange, Jane didn’t even buy curtains for the house yet. She figured Patience put a blanket or two in front of the living room to hide whatever surprise was in the house. She looked to her side to see that Tim had taken her hand into his before he showed her the fence. It was different, a white picket fence to match their two neighbors.</p><p>                “Notice anything different ?” he asked.</p><p>                “The fence is new,” she said.</p><p>                “Anything else ?” he asked.</p><p>                Jane took her attention away from the fence, before she saw that the outside of the house was a blush pink, and the trims were white. The porch was completely reinforced, and repainted to match the trim of the house. There was a porch swing that sat on the porch with potted plants that bloomed with flowers. The yard was torn up and replaced with new, wet soil and possibly manure.</p><p>                “What is . . . am I having a fever dream ?” Jane asked. “The door !!”</p><p>                It wasn’t the door with a small broken window. It was replaced completely by a white door with a stained glass window, that contained the Willoughby family emblem.</p><p>                “I felt like the house would need touches of both of us, you know,” Tim claimed. “I added a bit of family history, as well as a more modern vibe on the inside.”</p><p>                “You did this ?” she asked.</p><p>                “We should go inside,” he suggested. “Patience said that we have even bigger surprises for you.”</p><p>                Jane hesitated to grab the golden doorknob, in both fear and excitement of what could await on the other side of the door. She knew they’d been working on the house, but she didn’t expect the outside to be this immaculate. She could only imagine what the inside could possibly look like. She looked back at Tim, and gave him a pout.</p><p>                He laughed before he opened the door for her, and stepped inside the house. Tim held his hands out to her, and allowed her to grab them before he helped her inside. He stood in front of her as he watched her simply stare into his chest.</p><p>                “Want me to cover your eyes and lead you to where the surprise is ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                Jane nodded in response and took her glasses off before she stuck one handle into the neck of her sweater dress. She shut her eyes and let Tim put his hands over them.</p><p>                “Okay, forward,” he instructed.</p><p>                He and Jane began to walk forward, down a narrow hallway.</p><p>                “Okay, now left,” he instructed.</p><p>                She turned left, but stopped once she felt Tim stop too. She held onto his hands and bit her lip together. She could tell that there were other people in the house, but she couldn’t tell quite how many there were. Her heart seemed to flutter in her chest. It was like the entire day was a dream, because she couldn’t remember a day where she had felt this good. She couldn’t remember a day where she felt this loved. She couldn’t remember a day where everything was simply perfect with no strings attached.</p><p>                He lifted his hands from her eyes, and saw that the dining room had a new wooden table that shined under a new, beautiful, small chandelier. There were pictures up on the wall of the family, from when they were kids, to just a few months ago.</p><p>                “Surprise !!”</p><p>                A., Patience, B., the other Bea, Randy, and two other people, one being the unmistakable Celeste McMilk, surrounded the table. There was a white cake, with frosting lace designs on the sides, candles in the sides, and ‘Happy Birthday, Jane’ in red frosting on the top.</p><p>                “Welcome to your new house,” A. greeted. “We worked our asses off, so a thank you is much appreciated – actually, it’s mandatory.”</p><p>                “Oh, you hush, A.,” Patience scolded. “We wanted to make this birthday real big, so your brother over there thought that it would be a great idea to take you on a day out while we finished fixin’ up the house.”</p><p>                “And of course, we couldn’t not help our new neighbors,” Randy added. “And thank god Lars and Celeste came back from Gothenburg last night, because Lars is an expert with woodwork.”</p><p>                He surely didn’t look it, with his pale white skin, wispy fairy like figure, and platinum blonde locks that went to his shoulders.</p><p>                “Oh, speaking of Lars and Celeste,” Bea started. “These are the neighbors that live on the other side of you guys. Lars and Celeste Vinderstromm.”</p><p>                Jane stepped away from Tim to greet them both, with Lars it was easy ( he didn’t seem to speak much ), but once she got to Celeste, it was different. It was the teen modeling sensation, the girl in the pictures on Troy’s teenage bedroom, the girl everyone wanted to be. She was the ‘It – Girl’ of Jane’s teenage years.</p><p>                “M – Missus McMilk, I – I’m Jane Willoughby,” she introduced. “I’m a huge fan of your work. You’re like – you’re super pretty.”</p><p>                “I know who you are Jane Willoughby,” she answered. “I bought my wedding dress from your shop when you first started your business. I sent in my measurements and one of your lovely employees found a dress with everything I asked for. I was currently at Paris Fashion week with my honey, so my assistant went and picked it up for me. It was a lovely dress, and I wouldn’t have been able to find it anywhere else. I had looked everywhere, Diamonds, Ethereal Dresses – but there was one dress in your window that stuck out.”</p><p>                “You bought your wedding dress from me ?” Jane asked. “Me ?”</p><p>                “Yes, you !!” Celeste exclaimed. “You have an eye for dresses like no other, and the lady on the phone was so helpful and professional. Josephine, I think that was her name.”</p><p>                Jane smiled at the thought. She really did have a great bunch of girls that worked for her.</p><p>                “I’m so glad me and my girls could make your special day a little more special,” Jane claimed. “It really is truly an honor to help someone like you.”</p><p>                Celeste looked over Jane’s shoulder at her husband, and Jane looked to see him sign with his hands. <strong><em>That’s</em></strong> why he didn’t talk much.</p><p>                “Oh, do you want to bring out the ice cream ?” Celeste asked. “Lars will go get it.”</p><p>                “Bring it out !!” A. exclaimed.</p><p>                “Bea, will you help me serve everyone ?” Patience asked. “B., you go and get milk for everyone. Y’all are gonna need somethin’ to wash it all down.”</p><p>                “Of course I can, let me get the paper plates,” Bea responded.</p><p>                “Where did we put the cups again ?” B. asked. “It’s in the cupboard next to the fridge, right ?”</p><p>                “Right,” Patience answered.</p><p>                Tim came to Jane and pulled out the chair at the head of the table, and Randy pulled out a lighter from his pocket to light the candles.</p><p>                Celeste turned off the chandelier lighting as B., and Bea came back with a jug of milk, paper plates, plastic forks, and Lars followed behind them with the tub of vanilla ice cream.</p><p>                Tim began to lead them in the “Happy Birthday” song, and while none of them should quit their day job to begin a singing career ( And Lars didn’t even try, he simply twirled his fingers as everyone else sang ), it was nice to hear them sing. She hadn’t heard multiple people sing “Happy Birthday” in years, unless it was one of those embarrassing spectacles in a restaurant. Once they were done, and B. and A. added in the obnoxious ‘Cha – Cha – Cha’s at the end, Jane blew out her candles.</p><p>                “What did ya’ wish for ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “Don’t tell us, or else it won’t come true !!” Bea exclaimed.</p><p>                “That’s normally how that goes,” Celeste claimed. “Keep your wish to yourself.”</p><p>                Jane noticed Lars typed something into his phone before he gave his phone one final tap.</p><p>                “That’s just a myth,” a robotic voice said. “Tell us, Jane.”</p><p>                Jane furrowed her eyebrows, before he began to type into his phone again.</p><p>                “I’m sorry, I thought this would’ve been better, so I wouldn’t have to sign the entire time.”</p><p>                Jane smiled and nodded to show her understanding of what he was trying to do.</p><p>                “Don’t worry about it, Lars,” she said. “If that’s what you feel comfortable doing, go ahead.”</p><p>                Lars gave her a smile and a nod before he went to help Bea, B., and Celeste serve the cake to everyone.</p><p>                “So, Celeste, how did it go with the adoption ?” Bea asked. “Did I tell you that Celeste and Lars were adopting a kid from Sweden ? Lars is from Gothenburg.”</p><p>                “Pregnancy brain,” Jane reminded. “You did tell us.”</p><p>                “Oh, well, it didn’t go the way we had intended,” Celeste claimed. “But, we met a girl, she was a teenager, and she was pregnant, so we discussed plans with the girl and her family, and we decided that we would adopt her baby, so she can continue on with her life.”</p><p>                “So that means you can speak Swedish ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “You can decipher Kamprad furniture names ?” A. added.</p><p>                “The models of Kamprad furniture are on display at the store,” Celeste claimed. “If you look at the display, you know what you’re buying, and on top of that, if I can’t read it, Lars can.”</p><p>                Lars gave A. a smug smile and brushed off his own bomber jacket.</p><p>                “You’re lucky you married a Swede,” A. commented. “But a Swede is nothing compared to a country girl.”</p><p>                Patience flipped her hair, as she and Lars both chuckled at eachother..</p><p>                “Oh, come on, what can a country girl do that a Swedish man can’t ?”</p><p>                Patience looked Lars in the face before she gave him a slightly more devilish grin than anyone in the room was used to. She was normally a sweet, summer child ( An actual summer child, as she was born in June, and claims that she can’t wear fall colors ).</p><p>                “Bet I can funnel a beer faster than you.”</p><p>                Lars jumped slightly at her proposal, before he looked to his phone and typed again before he gave her a look that was similar.</p><p>                “As a European, I take offense to that. You’re on.”</p><p>                After the last slice of cake was handed out, the lights were tuned back on, and everyone settled around the table. Tim sat next to Jane, B. next to him, then Patience, A., Celeste, Lars, Randy, and lastly Bea.</p><p>                “So, Jane,” Celeste asked. “When are you due ?”</p><p>                Jane looked up from her cake and tilted her head at Celeste. She didn’t know how Celeste acquired this information, unless someone in the room had told her. She wasn’t that big . . . right ? She didn’t feel like a blimp just yet. Sure, if she was wearing something tight, she would’ve shown a little bit, maybe ?</p><p>                “Oh, uh, your brothers told us,” Celeste explained. “That must’ve seemed weird.”</p><p>                “April Twenty – Eighth,” Jane answered. “We don’t know what we’re having yet, but next week we find out.”</p><p>                “The girl we’re adopting from doesn’t know either,” Celeste claimed. “It’s always so exciting to find out, and we already have a theme picked out for the nursery.”</p><p>                Celeste signed the entire time, since she was faced away from her husband to talk to Jane.</p><p>                Lars typed into his phone what he was going to add onto, before he finished their shared thought.</p><p>                “Air balloons, the colors are nice and pretty, and it would suit the baby, no matter what they are. We got done designing it before we left for Sweden, but we also thought we were going to come back home with a baby.”</p><p>                “I’m sorry that it didn’t work out the way you guys thought it would,” Tim apologized. “But, with a baby, you have more . . . <strong><em>leeway</em></strong>, with a baby.”</p><p>                “That’s what we’re thinking of,” Celeste said. “We’re trying to stay positive. Lars and I came up with baby names the entire plane ride home.”</p><p>                Lars paused to type into his phone.</p><p>                “Felix Gunner Vinderstromm and Ingrid Blix Vinderstromm, for a boy and girl.”</p><p>                “You aren’t going to hyphenate their last names ?” Bea asked.</p><p>                “The only reason my last name is hyphenated is so it’s still recognizable in the business,” Celeste explained. “I want my kids to be raised as Vinderstromms, because while I still kept my maiden name, that doesn’t mean that I don’t feel like a Vinderstromm in my heart.”</p><p>                “Ain’t that romantic ?” Patience sighed. “I haven’t gotten married yet and I already feel like a Willoughby.”</p><p>                “Cheers to amazing last names,” B. said.</p><p>                He raised his glass of milk up and everyone followed suit, as they all clinked their glasses together, before they all took sips of their milk.</p><p>                They all soon finished their cakes and ice cream, before A. stood before everyone.</p><p>                “So who wants a tour of the house ?” he asked. “Us guys can show Tim his room and the guest bathroom, and you girls can show Jane the master suite.”</p><p>                “That sounds like a plan,” Randy said. “Tim, you are going to flip your shit when you see your room. We have made it into a deluxe, man’s room. You’re going to be living like a man, but in style.”</p><p>                “I had to help him pick out some designs,” Bea whispered to the women. “I was not going to let him put a secret compartment for gross guy things in the room.”</p><p>                “Anyways, don’t you ladies want to show Jane her room ?” Patience asked. “You’re gonna love it, Jane. I can promise you that !!”</p><p>                Patience lead the group of women up the stairs, and down towards the master suite of the house, and the guys soon followed, before they headed the opposite way, towards Tim’s new room.</p><p>                Patience stood with her back against the door and took a deep breath in, as she let it out with a jittery giggle.</p><p>                “Ugh, I’m just so proud of us girls,” she squealed. “You won’t even recognize the room. I can promise you that, Jane. Introducin’ our bachelorette magnum opus !!”</p><p>                Patience opened the door and Jane walked inside of the bedroom. The dim lights and smaller light fixtures glistened in the frames of her glasses like stars. There was actually a platform and built in headboard behind her bed, unlike how it was at the apartments. It looked like her sheets and bed set and such had been washed, dried, and even ironed before being carefully placed on the bed. Her lamps were there and her dresser and vanity was repainted over the chipped paint, and they looked brand new. The bulbs of her vanity shown bright, and made her perfume bottles and hair products shine. The little window seat was cushioned and she quickly realized that Smokey and Grandpa had curled up and made themselves at home in the seat.</p><p>                “Oh my god, you guys,” she gasped. “You were right. I can’t even recognize the room !! You guys got in a new chandelier and everything – those cabinets and cubby holes weren’t there before !! Did you -?”</p><p>                “Thank Lars for the cubby holes and cabinets,” Celeste commented. “He does a lot of woodwork for a hobby, his dad used to be a carpenter, so he’s been doing this for years.”</p><p>                “And I did the electrical stuff,” Bea claimed. “I like to call myself a Jack Of All Trades. It was funny to watch A. and B. argue about wiring, before I came in and did it. Everyone acts so surprised that a nearly five months pregnant woman can do labor intensive work, it’s not like I lost my skills once I got pregnant.”</p><p>                “You should come and check out the bathroom, Jane,” Patience suggested. “Me and the girls spent a good hour retiling the entire thing to make it look more chic.”</p><p>                Bea, since she was the closest to the bathroom, opened the door, and let Jane take the first few steps into the bathroom, where it had also been completely remodeled.</p><p>                The tiles were replaced with brown tiling and the paint was now beige instead of the old lady cream wallpaper, and the plumbing had changed significantly, as the shower was now a larger, two in one bath shower, with a waterfall shower head, glass sliding doors. The sink now had cabinets and a marble counter top, with a huge mirror. The toilet was a fancier, more modern take on a chain toilet from the Victorian times.</p><p>                Jane had to smile at the chain toilet. Tim would get a kick out of that.</p><p>                “And it has a closet in here for stuff like robes, and towels, so you don’t have to run around like a plucked chicken to look presentable,” Patience added. “That was actually B.’s suggestion.”</p><p>                “Smart thinking,” Jane commented. “This is all so amazing, I can’t thank you all enough for doing all of this.”</p><p>                Jane felt herself well up at the overwhelming hit of love that came from her new neighbors and family. They didn’t have to do this, and she truly meant it. A. and Patience could’ve planned their dream wedding, B. could’ve taken an impulsive vacation to Singapore, Randy and Bea could’ve been at home and relaxed, and she didn’t actually know Celeste and Lars up until now.</p><p>                “I would hug you guys, but . . . I’m not a hugger,” she claimed. “So, air hugs from me to you, but please know, if I was, I would squeeze the hell out of each of you.”</p><p>                Jane hugged the air in front of her, before she blinked back her tears.</p><p>                “Well, we still have one more room to show you,” Bea claimed.</p><p>                “I think you’ll really like it,” Celeste added.</p><p>                “And I’ll let you know that it was all from the mind of Tim himself,” Patience claimed. “We just did the redecoratin’ part, but he was the true mastermind behind it all.”</p><p>                Jane furrowed her eyebrows before they were all caught off guard by Lars, as he was the one that swung the door open, and A. shouted, “What are you ladies doing in here ?”</p><p>                “Barnaby Alan Willoughby !!” Patience exclaimed.</p><p>                “Randall James Wolfe !!” Bea followed up.</p><p>                “Lars Magnus Vinderstromm !!” Celeste added.</p><p>                “Timothy Anthony Malachy and Barnaby Benson Willoughby !!” Jane finished.</p><p>                All the men laughed amongst themselves as the women joined in with them.</p><p>                “So, we got done showing the man of the house his stuff, now can we show the parents their surprise ?” Randy asked.</p><p>                “We were just thinkin’ the same thing, Randy,” Patience agreed. “C’mon girls, follow us.”</p><p>                Jane and Tim were the last ones to leave the bathroom, as everyone gathered in the hallway, in front of the baby’s room. Jane instantly clutched Tim’s hand and grabbed her chest as her heart thumped against her chest. She was about to see the baby’s room. This was the most important reason why they moved to this house in the first place, and now it was right in front of them.</p><p>                Tim gave her a reassuring smile and nodded as he began to lead her towards the door.</p><p>                “I want to open it !!” she exclaimed. “You opened the front door, I want to open this one.”</p><p>                “Well, what are you waiting for ?” he asked. “The nursery’s on the other side.”</p><p>                Jane shimmied her shoulders and closed her eyes, as she attempted to envision what the room looked like on the inside. She wanted to get an idea of what Tim had said to them, and what they interpreted her dream nursery as. This was the room that their baby was going to grow in. They were going to change and become the person they were supposed to be in here. This was where Jane and Tim were going to spend countless nights taking care of the baby; feeding them, tucking them in, singing to them, reading to them, rocking them to sleep – this was where it was all going to begin. This was where the new Willoughby family’s life was going to start.</p><p>                Jane’s clammy palm gripped the doorknob as she took a breath in. She slowly twisted the knob to the anticipation of everybody in the hallway. The door squeaked as it opened and Jane took the first few steps inside, with Tim not too far behind her.</p><p>                Even Tim himself had his eyes closed, as he reached for Jane’s hand to squeeze.</p><p>                “Do you have your eyes open ?” he asked.</p><p>                “No,” she said. “Do you ?”</p><p>                “Let’s open them on three,” he suggested.</p><p>                “Okay, on three,” she agreed. “One.”</p><p>                “Two.”</p><p>                “Three.”</p><p>                They both slowly opened their eyes and gasped at the soft lighting of fairy lights, a round crib that had a tulle curtain to surround it, decals of the moon, clouds, and shiny, silver stars glinted in the lights. A changing table was against the opposite wall of the crib. The walls were a muted grey, which functioned well in the room for their baby. Upon closer inspection, there was hints of yellow in star shaped pillows that sat on the recliner / rocking chair, in the golden knobs of the dressing rooms drawers, in the latches of the crib, and the gleam of the lights. She turned to look at Tim, and this time she couldn’t fight back the tears as she ran and nearly tackled him into a hug.</p><p>                “So . . . do you like it ?” he asked.</p><p>                She felt his arms around her back and his warm, comforting breath upon her head. The smell of cologne only made her squeeze into him tighter and nuzzle her head into the crook of his neck. Jane’s eyes squeezed as mascara lined tears came down her cheeks. They were in their baby’s room, and the coziness of the dim yellow surrounded them. It was Tim, Jane, and their baby.</p><p>                Home.</p><p>                “I’m assuming you really like it,” he joked.</p><p>                She nodded again before she pulled away to see her newfound friends and long – time family, as they stared at the both of them. Jane adjusted her glasses and let go of Tim as she hugged her arms gently around herself. She gave them a warm smile, which was a rare and unfamiliar look on her anymore.</p><p>                “Thank you guys,” Jane said. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You guys are awesome, and I promise to repay you all some day.”</p><p>                “We really mean it,” Tim thanked. “None of this would have been possible without the help of you guys.”</p><p>                “Oh, don’t get all sappy on us now,” A. teased. “It’s the least you guys deserve to get started on your new life. It was honestly nice just to have something to do. I made some cool, new friends, and helped out my little nephew or niece.”</p><p>                “Yeah, don’t worry about repaying us,” B. agreed. “You’re our siblings and you’ve helped us out in so many ways already. All we want in return to come over any time we want.”</p><p>                Lars stopped everyone so he could type into his phone.</p><p>                “It’s the neighborly thing to do. This is a community down here, like a family, and we wanted to welcome you with warm arms. Hopefully we can continue to get closer, because it was fun to build new, and original things for your house, and you two are already such kind people.”</p><p>                “You’ll fit in just fine,” Randy agreed. “We love having new people around, and when you’re greeted with kindness, you know you’re welcome. You guys aren’t out of place around here.”</p><p>                “We love you guys,” Patience soothed.</p><p>                Jane smiled and nodded.</p><p>                “I hope that one day, we can return the favor,” she said. “But for now, thank you all. You all did a wonderful job at everything. It’s like House Willoughby now has little pieces of some really awesome people that are permanently a part of it’s new history.”</p><p>                “Now that’s a cheesy Tim thing to say,” A. prodded. “But going down in Willoughby history is the highest honor that could be bestowed upon us.”</p><p>                “Now we’re immortalized in something that matters,” Celeste claimed. “To generations of Willoughbys that have lived, are living, and are yet to come. Here, here.”</p><p>                “Here, here !!” Tim laughed.</p><p>                Everyone joined along with them as they walked down the stairs to say goodbye for the rest of the night.</p><p>                Barnaby A. stayed behind everyone as they headed to their respective houses, with Patience and B. headed towards the farm truck. He grabbed his older siblings by their shoulders and pulled an envelope out of his pocket. It was heavier than the ones Jane had previously found in the house, so that was a little concerning.</p><p>                “Hey, uhm, while we were demolishing the counters in the kitchen, I found this envelope,” he claimed. “It had a weird looking note and this spooky freakin’ key inside of it. I don’t know if you want it or anything, but –“</p><p>                Jane gasped as she took it from him.</p><p>                “Thanks,” she exclaimed. “You’re a lifesaver.”</p><p>                “Are you sure you don’t want me to burn it ?” he asked.</p><p>                “No, we’ll keep it,” Tim said. “Goodnight, A.”</p><p>                “Night guys,” A. responded.</p><p>                He went to catch up with Patience and B., as they waited for him in the truck.</p><p>                Jane immediately opened the envelope and took out both the key and note in scrawled cursive.</p><p>                “You did it, you found the key. It is the one to unlock our fortune, hidden behind the spoons. Your well – deserved tresure is locked in the very last room. Signed, M.A and D.M.”</p><p>                “What’s it say ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “The attic.” Jane said aloud.</p><p>                “What about the attic ?” he asked. “We can’t get in the attic, remember ?”</p><p>                “No, you dodo !!” she exclaimed. “This key, it opens the attic. This is the last clue !!”</p><p>                “For that treasure hunt ?” Tim asked. “We found it ?”</p><p>                “We have to try this key,” Jane said. “We have to see where this thing takes us.”</p><p>                “And if it’s a bunch of bodies ?” he asked.</p><p>                “You have a phone,” Jane claimed. “Call the cops – better yet, just scream as loud as you can for Randy so he can phone in for backup.”</p><p>                Tim laughed at her tease.</p><p>                “You sure you want to do this ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I’ve never been more positive in my life !!” she exclaimed.</p><p>                “Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve heard that,” he claimed. “We better get going before this birthday buzz starts to fade away.”</p><p>                Jane jogged up the stairs, before she stood in front of the locked attic door. She looked down the stairs to see Tim as he followed behind her.</p><p>                She put the key into the keyhole and took another deep breath in.</p><p>                “You’re sure about this ?” he asked.</p><p>                She nodded as she turned the key and opened the door.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Fitzcarraldo Fortune</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔼𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕟 :</p><p>𝔽𝕚𝕥𝕫𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕕𝕠 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕦𝕟𝕖</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                Jane pulled the creeky wooden door open and coughed at the dust that filtrated from the long stairwell that lead to the dark attic. There was no smell of blood or rotted corpses, so that was instantly a plus. The attic was bare boned and was wall to wall with cobwebs.</p><p>                Tim grabbed onto her shirt, as he remembered the spiders that would crawl around the coal bin. He had to swat some monster sized spiders down there with the Willoughby History scrapbook ( Only the cosmos knows why Mother and Father had kept it down there, maybe they did feel the shame they brought to the family name, but while it was a nice thought, Tim knew that was highly unlikely of an outcome ), and right now, he didn’t have a thick, and heavy book to smash spiders with.</p><p>                She took the first step, before she held out her hand and nodded, in reassurance to him, as he did for her the entire night when she was nervous. They were meant to find whatever was in this attic, whether it be a box of pirate doubloons or old family history that could be brought to the local museum. Who knows, maybe these people had a rich family history that needed to be shared.</p><p>                Jane lead Tim into the attic, as he coughed in the stairwell. Once in the actual room, he flipped on the light switch and the bright orange bulb flickered on and exposed the contents of the room. There were tons of boxes, and other things that had worn with age. Jane noticed fabric mannequins with patches of wedding lace and fabrics, as they hid a few others that were nearly completed. The designer was instantly familiar, as it was the same designer of the ballgown Patience had bought for the wedding.</p><p>                Her name was Marjorie Armstrong. She was an heiress to a set of designers that sewed for royals back in the United Kingdom, and that woman was born into money, and as she grew older, she made even more of her own money, but she could not believe that there were unfinished Marjorie Armstrong dresses within their house. Those dresses would have been valued at nearly fifty thousand dollars at the very least. She was simply lucky to have a Marjorie Armstrong dress for so cheap in her shop.</p><p>                “Tim, look !!” she exclaimed. “Do you know what those are ?”</p><p>                Tim raised an eyebrow before he shrugged at her questions.</p><p>                “They look like wedding dresses to me,” he replied.</p><p>                “Oh my god, you’re such a guy sometimes,” she sighed. “These are dresses by <strong><em>the</em></strong> Marjorie Armstrong. She was <strong><em>heiress</em></strong> to the Armstrong fortune, and she was a almost a freakin’ <strong><em>billionaire</em></strong> !! You have no idea how much these dresses are worth !!”</p><p>                “Marjorie Armstrong ?” Tim asked. “I think I’ve seen her names on magazines before.”</p><p>                “And her designer’s workshops in the city, hello ?” Jane asked. “Her works are in Mirage magazine, have walked runways on Paris Fashion Week, she has been interviewed by some of the top news companies in the world before her passing about three years ago.”</p><p>                “How am I supposed to know any of that ?” Tim asked. “I don’t pay attention to fashion. Look at what I’m wearing, and I just bought these from the supermarket for like twenty bucks. Ten bucks a piece.”</p><p>                He motioned to his button up and pulled at the fabric of his slacks. When he looked up from his pants, he looked at a cardboard box that was labeled “Prototype for Malarkey Engine Nineteen – Eighty Six”. His eyes immediately widened as he opened the box to see a blocky computer monitor, and tower, along with a chunky keyboard.</p><p>                “Oh shit, Jane !!” he exclaimed. “Look at this !!”</p><p>                “What’s that ?” she asked.</p><p>                “It’s an old Malarkey Engine Computer from the eighties,” he answered. “I use a Malarkey at work and they are fine pieces of technology. They never, ever crash and rarely, if ever, get viruses. David Malarkey was a technological genius and he was a damn pioneer of his time. Without him, we wouldn’t have Malarkey Corp., which is the one that makes Malarkey smartphones, the Malarkey Pro Laptops – you know what I’m talking about.”</p><p>                “Of course, I do, Tim,” Jane said. “I may be pregnant, but I’m not old.”</p><p>                “Wait a second, Marjorie Armstrong married David Malarkey,” Jane said. “He was her last husband out of three. Do you think . . . ?”</p><p>                “They wouldn’t have just left their dresses and old prototypes behind, would they ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                Jane’s eyes widened at the thought. The note specifically said fortune, so that meant that there had to be money somewhere. She began to open unlabeled boxes, whether they be little shoeboxes, or giant cardboard boxes. Every box she opened, there were banded stacks of modern, American cash. Upon further inspection, she noticed that these weren’t plain ol’ dollar bills, they were crisp, almost mint condition <strong><em>one</em></strong> – <strong><em>hundred</em></strong> dollar bills. She couldn’t tell whether she should freak out every time she opened a new box, or if she should close it and act like it wasn’t there. Tim copied her and opened the boxes she hadn’t opened. It seemed as if every box was filled with cold, hard cash.</p><p>                “We struck a gold mine, Jane !!” Tim shouted. “There has to be at least a hundred million dollars in here !!”</p><p>                “A hundred million ?” she asked. “If that’s your estimate, there has to be more. We haven’t even scratched the surface of the boxes in here !!”</p><p>                “We’re set for life !!” he exclaimed. “We could quit our jobs and stay here all day !! Is this what it felt like when you left the family, because I’m about ready to put in my two – weeks notice at Melanoff’s !!”</p><p>                “Okay, don’t get ahead of yourself,” Jane said. “There’s no way that there isn’t a catch to this. Do David Malarkey and Marjorie Armstrong have any children together ? If they do, I’m sure they’d want their kids to have it, and not some strangers that just so happen to stumble upon it.”</p><p>                “They set out this treasure hunt for the new homeowners, Jane,” Tim explained. “It’s ours now, I’m sure their kids would’ve already gotten their inheritance if they had any to give.”</p><p>                Jane bit the inside of her cheek and adjusted the sleeves of her dress. She shook her head and gave her brother an unsure pout. Jane managed to turn up the charm when she batted her eyelashes at him.</p><p>                “Can you at least <strong><em>check</em></strong> the internet to see if they have kids ?” she asked. “I feel like we should let their kids know that we <strong><em>found</em></strong> it. If this were <strong><em>our</em></strong> money, I’d want <strong><em>someone</em></strong> to let our baby know, just in case. Besides, what are we going to do with all of this money ? It doesn’t feel right just <strong><em>keeping</em></strong> it.”</p><p>                Tim scrunched his face in annoyance at her. He really wanted to tell her that she was being overdramatic. They won the treasure hunt, and they would be set to do whatever they want for the rest of their lives if they just kept the amount of money that was in this room. Their baby would grow up in a comfortable environment, and would never have to worry if Tim and Jane had enough money for clothes or food for them. They could go to a great school, and even get into an Ivy League college like Tim himself did. He was about to tell her no, until she batted her dumb doe eyes at him and gave him that pout that had him wrapped around her finger.</p><p>                He sighed before he took out his phone and opened his internet browser to look and see if the internet had any information on Marjorie Armstrong and David Malarkey’s kids. He read the list of David Malarkey’s kids, before he saw that David Malarkey had four kids in total, but only one from Marjorie, and her name was Anna Armstrong – Malarkey. He tapped on Marjorie’s internet page to see she had six children, but only one from David Malarkey.</p><p>                “They have nine kids, but only one kid together,” Tim said. “So, the question is . . . did she know about all this money ?”</p><p>                “Well, what about the other kids, that were from previous marriages ?” Jane asked. “Even though they’re not both of their kids, they could still request for money from either their father or their mother, and as this fortune is shared, nobody is alive unless there’s a will specifically instructing who gets how much of this money.”</p><p>                He first went to Marjorie’s first son, Sutton had passed away from a brain tumor, her second son, Quentin, had been murdered in the seventies, her third daughter, Samantha, was currently in a home due to severe schizophrenia, her fourth son, Lee, had passed away from epilepsy complications, and her fifth daughter, Olivia, had also passed from a brain tumor.</p><p>                Next, he checked the statuses of David Malarkey’s remaining children. His first daughter, Kathrine, had passed in a car accident not too long ago, his second son, Robert, was currently still alive and ran his company on the west coast, and his last son, Roger, had passed away from the flu.</p><p>                Anna Armstrong – Malarkey ran Malarkey Corp., as she and her brother, Robert, were listed as the current joint owners of the company. That meant that they did have living kids, and it would only be the right thing to do to tell them about their parents’ fortune. He wanted to lie and tell Jane that all their kids were gone, and their last remaining one passed away shortly after them, but he knew she’d see though his lie eventually. Why did doing the right thing have to be so hard ?</p><p>                “Anna Armstrong – Malarkey and Robert Malarkey are currently still alive,” he sighed. “But even if they are, how are we supposed to get a hold of them ? We don’t have any way of contacting them directly. The best shot we have is e – mailing Malarkey Corp., but I doubt they would even give our message the time of day.”</p><p>                “If it’s the only chance we have, then we better take it,” Jane claimed. “I’d rather us reach out and them not see it, than not reach out and they be mad at us for stealing money from their parents.”</p><p>                Tim pulled up his e – mail app on his phone and sighed at the thought of all this money quite possibly not being there anymore, but he wasn’t interested in fighting. He’d rather play it safe, like Jane pointed out. He had dodged lawsuits, prison, the law for so long, and he didn’t want a lawsuit or even worse, the slammer, to be a possibility. Right now, his family took top priority, even though they’d be well off with the money.</p><p>                “So . . . how should we start it ?” he asked. “I could start it like I do all of my work e – mails; ‘Hello Anna Armstrong – Malarkey and Robert Malarkey, we are Timothy and Jane Willoughby, and we have gained access to the attic in your parents’ old house.’.”</p><p>                Jane scrunched her nose at the last sentence, before she took his phone from him and backspaced the last part. It was a little creepy, as if a robot wrote it, and she didn’t want them to think that it was a scam.</p><p>                “How about we change it to something a little less . . . robotic ?” she asked. “How does ‘Your parents had left the key to their attic in our possession, as well as a lot of money. We didn’t feel right taking the money for ourselves without letting you know about it first. Besides, it’s your parents’ money, and you should be able to have the final say of what happens to it.’ sound ?”</p><p>                “If you insist that it’s better, then I guess,” he agreed.</p><p>                He took his phone back, before he signed the e – mail off with, “Good Tidings, The Willoughbys”. He typed the e – mail for Malarkey Corp. into the receiver bar, before he titled the e – mail “Concerning Your Family”.</p><p>                She hugged him and nuzzled her head into his shoulder.</p><p>                “Thank you,” she sighed. “I’m glad you did that for me.”</p><p>                “I mean, it was the right thing to do,” he claimed. “Even if it sucked.”</p><p>                She nudged him and yawned.</p><p>                “Let’s just go back downstairs and pretend like it’s not here for now,” she suggested. “It’s been a long day, it smells like mothballs up here, and everyone worked real hard on the rest of the house for us not to go and watch ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’ in the living room and pig out on more of that cake.”</p><p>                “Actually . . . is it weird that I . . . nevermind,” he started.</p><p>                “What ?” she asked.</p><p>                “It’s dumb,” he claimed. “Let’s just go to the kitchen and get another plate of cake.”</p><p>                “No, what is it ?” she asked.</p><p>                Tim looked away from her and covered his mouth as he muttered something inaudible.</p><p>                “Don’t give me that !!” she exclaimed. “What did you say ?”</p><p>                He looked at her and she could immediately tell that blush covered his face. He folded his arms before he covered his mouth and muttered a little louder, but she still couldn’t understand a word that came out of his mouth.</p><p>                “What are you trying to say, you weirdo ?” she demanded.</p><p>                “Is it weird that I want to get in our pajamas and cuddle in bed ?” he asked. “I – It’s been a long day for the both of us, and we can still watch something on my phone, I have streaming services –“</p><p>                “My bed or yours ?” she asked.</p><p>                He gave her a warm smile, as she didn’t take it as a weird thing. It was strange how she was more open to cuddles than Queen was. Once he and Queen were in bed together, she would face away from him and either sit on her phone as she played Sudoku, or fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Jane, as unaffectionate as she was towards others, never seemed to mind when Tim needed a cuddle after a long day. After he was introduced to the world of hugs and cuddles from Nanny, he loved them, though he didn’t hug everyone he met ( that was creepy ). It took him awhile, but he too became affectionate, and needed love and snuggles as much as anyone did.</p><p>                “Your room looks cozy,” he said.</p><p>                “My room it is,” she confirmed.</p><p>                They both exited the attic, and shut the door behind themselves, as they hung they large keyring on the doorknob for when they later needed access to the attic, whether that be to get the money for a future bank deposit or to give the money back to its rightful owners. They split towards opposite ends of the hallway. Tim went into his room so he could change into a hoodie with his college emblem across it and grey sweatpants, and Jane went into her room to change into a new pair of cat printed pajama pants and a plain, soft long sleeve maternity shirt she ordered off of Lulu Leggings. She opened the door once Tim knocked on it and allowed him into the room, before they both pulled the giant comforter up and cuddled up under it. Jane pulled Tim’s arms around her shoulders and rested her head on his chest. He pulled his phone out of his hoodie pocket and tapped on the Vidi – Loop app, before he scrolled down to where the trash T.V section was.</p><p>                “Which ‘Keepin’ It Real’ are you feeling ?” he asked. “Texas, Oregon, Louisiana ?”</p><p>                “What’s that ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                The picture showed about twenty six people in the frame, and all looked potentially related to eachother. They ranged from being older people, young adults, teenagers, kids, and even little babies. All were dressed in white and one man in the middle had a giant cross pendant on his necklace.</p><p>                “Oh, Queen’s sister, Lady, told me about this one,” Tim claimed. “It’s called ‘Twenty – Six To Mormontown’, and it’s about this devout and rather sheltered Mormon family exploring the real world. The two people in the middle there are Mary – Beth and William Padgett, and the rest of these people are their kids.”</p><p>                “Okay, okay, first of all – Queen has a sister named Lady ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                Tim gave her a rather embarrassed look as he rubbed the back of his neck and nodded.</p><p>                “Yeah, it went Lady, Duchess, Queen, and then her younger sister, Princess,” he explained. “She also had brothers named Lord, Duke, King, and Prince. Prince is the youngest. Her mom had Lord and Duke first, and they’re twins, then Lady, Duchess, King, Prince, Queen, and Princess is about Ruth’s age.”</p><p>                “Holy crap, I can barely think about having this one kid,” Jane commented. “I couldn’t imagine having eight kids, much less twenty – <strong><em>freakin’</em></strong> – four.”</p><p>                “I think that they all lived on a remote ranch and never had any outside contact with the world until their oldest started working, and he ended up online dating,” Tim explained. “He met this girl named Keisha on the internet, and his family hates her, because they think she’s trying to corrupt the family’s innocent relationship with the lord.”</p><p>                “Look, worship how you want, which is why I say ‘the cosmos’, because I don’t know what’s out there,” Jane said. “Whatever high power’s out there, but like, just because someone acts a little different doesn’t mean they’re out to ‘ruin’ your family.”</p><p>                “A. and I talked about that,” Tim said. “He says he has a hard time being around Patience’s dad because he’s really closed minded. He even said that people that adopt kids are just compensating for not being able to have their own.”</p><p>                Jane chewed her lower lip and shrugged.</p><p>                “Well, Nanny couldn’t have her own kids,” she said.</p><p>                “But she found that out after she adopted us,” he justified. “Remember how she wanted to have more kids when Ruth was potty – trained ? It just didn’t work out the way she had planned. Kind of like myself and Queen, but Queen was pretty against adoption too. I’m sad that I couldn’t have my own kids either, but now . . .”</p><p>                He put his hand on her stomach and smiled.</p><p>                “I got you and our little lima bean, even if I wasn’t the one that made them,” he continued. “Family isn’t about blood, it’s what you make of it. Adopted, or not.”</p><p>                Smokey and Grandpa both hopped up on the ottoman at the end of Jane’s bed and walked up to either Tim or Jane’s side before the two cats settled in next to them. Grandpa with his paws rested on Tim’s stomach and Smokey with his back pressed against Jane’s own back.</p><p>                “See, they agree,” he joked. “They’re adopted and they don’t care.”</p><p>                Jane reached behind herself and scratched Smokey on the chin, before she reached over and scratched the top of Grandpa’s head.</p><p>                “They better not care,” she said. “We feed them and give them all the snuggles and kisses in the entire world.”</p><p>                Tim smiled at Jane as she was so affectionate towards the cats. Whether or not if she saw it now, he knew she was going to be a great momma, regardless of how often she shuts it down or goes in hard on herself. He knew she would find that spark inside of herself once again.</p><p>                He often worried about how he would be, as it was the craziest risk he had ever taken in his life to come into Jane’s life in a far more permanent way, after he said that he wanted to help raise her child as his own. Even when he planned on having a family with Queen, darker thoughts ate away at him. What if the kid didn’t accept him as their father ? What if the kid didn’t like him ? What if he had kids with Queen and they divorced ? They’d definitely hate him then. But one of the most prevalent thoughts, and one that still consumed his mind late at night was, what if he relapsed ? He had five years under his belt, there should be no reason as to why he would. He had done amazing for the past five years, and hadn’t really thought about alcohol or cocaine in the past five years, because as he told the twins and Jane, he <strong><em>wanted</em></strong> to get better . . . but what <strong><em>if</em></strong> one day, he messed up ?</p><p>                “I think we should watch that show,” Jane said.</p><p>                “Huh ?”</p><p>                “The one with the Mormons,” she said. “I think we should watch it.”</p><p>                “Oh, uh, okay,” he agreed.</p><p>                He tapped on the show, and they started on episode one, where the entire family was introduced. All the girls had names like ‘Everleigh’ and ‘Brinsleigh’ and the boys had names like ‘Joshua’ and ‘Michael’. Jane seemed to laugh at the simplistic names, but her name is one of the simplest, one syllable names in the book.</p><p>                Tim didn’t have a problem with it, but when they got adopted and were allowed to change their names, Jane wanted to rename herself ‘Eugenie Florence Elizabeth Willoughby’. Tim was the one to convince her out of it, as he said that ‘Eugenie’ sounded a lot like ‘Eugene’, which was a boy’s name, and with Jane being a rather feminine girl, she took his advice and decided against it as she went with ‘Jane Florence Elizabeth Willoughby’. He assisted her with her middle names, and he was glad she agreed upon two middle names, even though the Barnabys didn’t.</p><p>                Within the first five minutes of the show, he looked down to see that Jane had fallen asleep on his chest, and he wasn’t particularly interested in the show either. It could’ve been because it was boring, but he was also a little beat too. It was a long day for the both of them, and the incident in the attic was enough to work his body to the point where he knew he needed sleep. He set his phone onto her nightstand and used her second charger cable to plug it in for the night. He would’ve gotten up to go to his room, but he was simply too tired, and Jane’s bed was far too comfy to get out of. The warmth of the blankets in combination with the presence of Jane and their two cats, was enough to suck Tim down into the bed with them.</p><p>                He put Jane’s head onto the pillows on er side of the bed, before he scooted in closer and wrapped his arms around her. His heart rate sped up, as he half expected her to shove him away or elbow him in the stomach, like what would usually happen when he tried to spoon Queen, but she didn’t.</p><p>                Jane gave off an asleep sigh as she unconsciously wiggled in closer to him.</p><p>                Tim began to stroke the side of her head with one and rubbed her belly with the other. He hadn’t done this in years, but the fact that someone else was next to him was enough to soothe him. He felt less isolated, as he was in bed with his two favorite cats, Smokey and Grandpa, and his two favorite people, Jane and their baby. He placed his chin atop her head and took in a breath of that mimosa scented shampoo that they used on her hair at the spa. It was sweeter than he was used to, but it was still warm, and somehow familiar.</p><p>                Tim shut his eyes, though he didn’t fall asleep just yet. He simply nuzzled the back of her head, and pressed his cheek against the back of her head, just above the low ponytail she had in her hair.</p><p>                He had never felt more at home than he did in that moment. Being cuddled up with his family, a family that actually loved him, and not a disgruntled wife that would come to bed just to play Sudoku alone before he came. Tim smiled at the thought that if this were a few years in the future, they would have a little one starfished between them, with their little limbs as they took up most of the bed for their own dumb, childish, and unknowingly selfish comfort. He lifted his hand and interlaced his fingers into one of Jane’s hands as he felt himself drift into sleep for the night too.</p><p>                “You know you’re my soulmate, right ?” he asked.</p><p>                He spoke aloud to himself, since she wasn’t awake to make fun of him for being sappy. Since he was technically alone with his thoughts, he began to ramble.</p><p>                “Not romantically, of course,” he continued. “But I can’t imagine my life without you. You make me happier than I ever was in my marriage, with your cuddles, and your desire to watch trash T.V with me . . . you’re gonna make a great momma. I just wish you knew that.”</p><p>                He felt a squeeze on his hand, but didn’t think much of it. Maybe it was a sign that his voice would wake her if he kept chatting in the middle of the night. She was never one for noise when she slept, and would be very grumpy if people were noisy at night, because she would lose precious beauty sleep ( not like Tim really thought she needed it, because he already thought she was pretty. If her dark circles and bags were really that bad, he could totally give her the anti – wrinkle cream he stole from her room for under his eyes back ).</p><p>                “Goodnight Jane,” he whispered. “Lima bean.”</p><p>                Tim officially drifted into a sleep, but little did he know, Jane woke up when he moved her, and she heard everything. She smiled at his little ramble, before she shut her eyes and went back to sleep herself.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Avenoir / Future Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℕ𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕟 :</p><p>𝔸𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕠𝕚𝕣 / 𝔽𝕦𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕄𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                Tim and Jane were on their way to the appointment where the sex of their baby was going to be revealed, not to them, but to a confused and slightly disgruntled A., who sat in the back seat, with his arms folded as he pouted like a toddler.</p><p>                “Why do I have to be here ?” he asked. “This is your appointment.”</p><p>                “Would you rather be at a bakery with Patience deciding whether you should have flowers or a cake topper for like six hours ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                He twisted his mouth to the side before he shrugged.</p><p>                “Anyways, we brought you here for a reason,” Tim claimed. “We know you’ve been getting tired of wedding planning, and we had a huge favor to ask you.”</p><p>                “Is it a favor I have a choice in ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Well, yes,” Jane answered. “But we think you might actually like to do this favor.”</p><p>                Their younger brother raised an eyebrow in intrigue towards her statement.</p><p>                “I’m listening,” he said.</p><p>                “So, we have been wanting to do a gender reveal and today we find out the sex of the baby,” Tim explained. “We were wondering if you wanted to plan the party, and know the sex, instead of us.”</p><p>                “It would be like you’re the one with the giant secret this time,” Jane claimed. “Not even we will now, because the doctor’s going to give you the ultrasound and you’re going to be the ‘Keeper Of The Sex’ persay.”</p><p>                “So I’m going to be the only one to know ?” A. asked. “And Patience ?”</p><p>                “Not even Patience can know,” Tim said. “With a gender reveal, the sex of the baby has to be a secret from everyone, even the people closest to us.”</p><p>                “It’s that big of a secret ?” A. asked. “And you’re trusting <strong><em>me</em></strong> with it ?”</p><p>                “That is . . .” Tim started.</p><p>                He squinted and smirked at A. through the rearview mirror, as he knew that this was bait towards their youngest brother. If you challenge A. to absolutely anything, he was sure to accept the challenge and beat you to the ground with the outcome. He was loud, obnoxious, and rather dense at times, but one thing Barnaby A. Willoughby was <strong><em>not</em></strong>, was a quitter.</p><p>                “If you’re up to it.”</p><p>                Got ‘em.</p><p>                Their brother scrunched his face, as if he took offense to Tim and Jane’s proposal. A. held his neck back and raised his eyebrows at his siblings’ inquiry.</p><p>                “Do you think I can’t do it ?” A. asked. “Because I can throw one of the best damn gender reveals you ever went to, and that’s a fact. I can set the bar and raise it, tenfold.”</p><p>                “We knew you’d say that,” Jane teased. “Which is why we wanted to bring you to the appointment.”</p><p>                They pulled in to the hospital’s parking lot, and they exited the car, before they walked into the waiting room and Jane signed herself in for the appointment.</p><p>                She came back and sat next to Tim, who had gotten onto his phone and played some sort of Word Search looking thing, as A. talked to the very pregnant woman that sat next to him.</p><p>                “Hey, you know anything about gender reveals ?” he asked her.</p><p>                She simply shook her head and sat down to read one of the magazines on the coffee table in front of them.</p><p>                “Alright, it’s alright,” he sighed. “My sister’s having a baby.”</p><p>                The woman nodded and continued to read her magazine.</p><p>                “Whatcha’ readin’ ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Sir, I’m not in the mood to talk,” she said. “Leave me alone.”</p><p>                “Oh, that’s cool,” he responded. “I love to talk. I could talk, and talk, and talk –“</p><p>                “Jane Willoughby ?” a nurse at the door said.</p><p>                “Bye !!” A. exclaimed.</p><p>                Both Willoughby brothers followed their sister into the doctor’s office and were soon seated in a room that had a television screen, ultrasound equipment, a chair that would fold back into an observation table, a vinyl chair that Tim sat in, and a rolling stool that A. took a seat in.</p><p>                “That stool is for the sonographer,” Jane said. “You’re going to have to stand when both they and my doctor come in.”</p><p>                “As the Keeper of the Sex, I instate that I don’t have to stand,” he proclaimed. “Tim, you’re standing.”</p><p>                “As the father of the baby, I veto your rule,” Tim declined. “I’m sitting down. Standing for about forty – five minutes isn’t going to kill you, you remodeled an entire house just last week and didn’t complain nearly this much.”</p><p>                “But I’m bored !!” A. exclaimed. “What am I supposed to do when they show up ? Stand still and not talk ?”</p><p>                “Exactly,” Jane agreed. “Your job is to get the ultrasound and not tell anybody what it says.”</p><p>                “But what if they ask me questions ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “You answer them, obviously,” Tim said. “But, don’t try and be in their faces and in the way. Be a little less, y’know ?”</p><p>                “Me ?”</p><p>                Jane nodded and gave an apologetic smile. It wasn’t that she disliked her brother, she loved A., but there was a time and a place to be as brash and outspoken as he was, and that time was not now. They needed him to dial it back a little bit, and not get in the way, even though he loved to be the center of attention a lot of the time.</p><p>                Thankfully, A. got up from the stool and went to the pamphlets that hung on the wall. He grabbed one about Lamaze and local Lamaze classes, and began to read through them.</p><p>                “Oh, Lamaze ?” Tim noticed. “Jane, we should take Lamaze classes. Don’t you think that it would be cool to try and have the baby naturally, with no medication ?”</p><p>                “They make epidurals for a reason, Tim,” Jane insisted. “I’m not going to put myself through unnecessary pain, just because people say that totally natural childbirth is ‘magical’ and ‘an experience to be enjoyed by all moms’. Why do you think I stopped listening to radio shows ? I’m hate the sound of that Tonya Devine as she talks about how the art of Lamaze helps bring the baby into the world with ‘good vibes’.”</p><p>                “They say that water births help ween the baby into the world,” A. read. “Since the baby is in amniotic fluid the entire pregnancy, and if they’re released into the water, they have a better adjustment to outside stimulus.”</p><p>                “Well, when you and Patience decide to have kids, you can talk her into Lamaze classes,” Jane claimed. “I’m doing my birth, in the hospital, where they’re more equipped to take care of the baby if something goes wrong.”</p><p>                “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” A. said. “I don’t want kids as soon as we get married. I want to actually enjoy married life, no need to get kids involved right away.”</p><p>                Jane laughed at A. as he instantly shot down the idea of kids. She was in the lead of hers and Patience’s bet. Hopefully it’ll stay that way, because she would understand if the Armstrong -  Malarkeys wanted the money in the attic back, so money wherever they could get it was much appreciated, even if those twenty bucks were spent on a new pair of jazzy maternity leggings that she would only use once.</p><p>                The door soon opened and a woman in scrubs as well as a woman in a lab coat came inside the room.</p><p>                “A., this is my doctor, Doctor Csupo,” Jane introduced. “Doctor Csupo, this is my younger brother, A.; he’s going to be the one receiving the information about the sex of the baby.”</p><p>                The woman in a lab coat reached her hand out to A. and gave him an inviting smile.</p><p>                “It’s a big responsibility, Mister A.,” Doctor Csupo claimed. “I can’t believe Jane’s entrusting you with it. She doesn’t even trust me to look at the baby sometimes. I have to give her and Tim here a full rundown of the baby, and how they’re doing every time they come into my office.”</p><p>                “I’m pretty responsible,” A. claimed. “I’m sure I’ll be able to keep the sex of the baby safe for as long as I need to. They want to do a gender reveal party, and I’m in charge, so . . .”</p><p>                He swept his hand along his shoulder, as if he brushed off dust that didn’t exist.</p><p>                “I got this in the bag.”</p><p>                “Well, that’s great to hear,” Doctor Csupo agreed. “Anyways, onto you, Jane. Have you been taking your vitamins ? Eating healthy foods ?”</p><p>                “Tim doesn’t let me leave the house without a green smoothie and my vitamins,” Jane answered. “I think he’s more concerned with my health than even you are.”</p><p>                “You can never be too healthy,” both Doctor Csupo and Tim chorused.</p><p>                “Green smoothies are great for your health, and the vitamins do wonders for not only your health, but your body,” Doctor Csupo said. “They help a lot with keratin production, and since you’ve been taking yours; do you notice how nice your hair and nails have gotten ?”</p><p>                Jane flipped a hand through her hair and gave a smile.</p><p>                “I’m sure we’d notice it in her nails if she stopped getting new acrylics every two weeks,” he said.</p><p>                “I have to be fashionable, Tim,” Jane reasoned. “I can’t walk around with a cute outfit, great hair, nice shoes, and have basic nails. The whole aesthetic has to <strong><em>match</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “Well, what do acrylic nails <strong><em>do</em></strong> ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Look nice,” Jane answered.</p><p>                “But what do they <strong><em>do</em></strong> ?” A. repeated.</p><p>                “They look good,” Jane repeated. “That’s it. They complete the look, the outfit – they bring my appearance, as a whole, together.”</p><p>                He simply raised an eyebrow at the notion of acrylic nails’ purpose to only be for aesthetic purposes, but he didn’t add onto it, even though he really wanted to ask more questions about them, and why people love them so much. Maybe it was because he was a mechanic, and didn’t understand the concept of having long nails, if his nails were any longer than his finger, they would snap, tear, or break clean off and Patience would have to clean and patch his hands up when he came home ( and with the way their family worked, they didn’t have antibiotic ointment to take the sting out, it was straight rubbing alcohol, and that <strong><em>burned</em></strong> ).</p><p>                “Have you noticed anything that’s been bothering you as of recent ?” Doctor Csupo asked. “Any sorts of discharge, discomfort, weird smells ?”</p><p>                “Well, I have had about two bowls of pho almost every day this past week,” Jane answered. “And . . . I’ve, uhm, been . . . <strong><em>leaking</em></strong>.”</p><p>                Jane motioned to her chest and implied what she meant in a way as to not totally gross out A., but he was indeed still grossed out at the thought.</p><p>                “Yeah, is that going to be a constant thing ?” Tim asked. “I hate cuddling with her and then have to change my shirt because there’s giant, wet milk patches on me.”</p><p>                Their younger brother inaudibly gagged as they continued to talk about Jane’s ‘problem’, and he even plugged his ears at one point and hoped that he was able to somehow muffle the awkward parent conversation between Tim, Jane, and the doctor. Would he have to sit through these conversations if he and Patience had kids ? How awful was that ? Maybe, he wasn’t cut out to be a dad.</p><p>                “Well, do you want to see how your baby’s doing ?” Doctor Csupo asked after the agonizing conversation.</p><p>                He unplugged his ears and made his way next to Jane on the observation table, as Doctor Csupo leaned her back, so she was able to observe Jane better. Her bump was out and more prominent, especially after Jane lifted her shirt for the sonographer to apply the gross, sticky gel onto Jane’s stomach.</p><p>                The lights were turned off and the only light in the room radiated from the television screen. The sonographer dragged the doppler across Jane’s stomach before she came across what was obviously a baby. They so different than the little blip that was once on the thin pictures that both the twins first saw about four months ago. There was a head, legs, arms – all the little parts for a tiny person.</p><p>                Jane smiled at the screen, and Tim smiled alongside her, as their baby pulled their hand to their face and seemed to jam their thumb into their mouth, though they couldn’t quite tell if the baby was sucking their thumb, as the two – dimensional ultrasound only took silhouettes of them.</p><p>                The sonographer was taking pictures of the baby, and typed into the keyboard the observations she’s made about the baby. The sonographer whispered lowly to Doctor Csupo as she continued to point out different things, before she moved to other spots to take pictures of the top of their head, and their bottom. Some of the pictures were measurements, in order to see how long the baby had gotten, and others were for white spots that could signify any genetic dangers ( thankfully, there were none ).</p><p>                “Well, from the looks of it, the baby might be small,” Doctor Csupo announced. “They’re about four pounds, six ounces right now, and normally babies are about five pounds, three ounces right about now. I wouldn’t be too alarmed, because I don’t see any other red flags, but just to be sure, we should still check their heartbeat.”</p><p>                The concern settled on all the Willoughby siblings’ faces upon the news. Was a little baby bad ? Was there a reason they were so little ? Was there anything Jane could do or take to help make the baby bigger ?</p><p>                The sonographer pressed a few buttons on the equipment and pinpointed where the baby’s chest was, and a sound of a fast, repeated “Lub – Lub – Lub” came from the equipment.</p><p>                Tim had one arm around Jane and held her hand, while he gave a sigh of relief.</p><p>                Upon A.’s obvious confusion, Jane grabbed his hand as well.</p><p>                “That’s their heartbeat,” she explained. “That means they’re doing okay.”</p><p>                “It’s a little fast,” Doctor Csupo stated. “But it’s not too fast, and it’s not slow either, so that means they might be under a little bit of developmental strain, but they aren’t under immense stress, so they’re more than likely going to continue to develop as normal, and they’re going to be okay.”</p><p>                Both Jane and Tim nodded at her advice and you could tell that they were immediately relieved by the good news. Tim shook Jane’s hand and hed her close to himself, and A. never let go of her hand.</p><p>                The sonographer printed out the new ultrasound roll of pictures, before she handed it to Doctor Csupo, who carefully folded them for A. to see them, but to hide from Tim and Jane.</p><p>                The sonographer handed Jane some of the paper towels from the wall, so Jane could wipe off the gel they applied to her stomach for the ultrasounds.</p><p>                “Your next appointment should be in four weeks,” Doctor Csupo said. “Thank you for coming in today, Jane, and good luck with the gender reveal, A.. I’m sure you’re going to have a lot of fun planning something so big for your siblings.”</p><p>                Doctor Csupo left the room, along with the sonographer, after they shut off the equipment and moved onto their next client.</p><p>                Jane attempted to look over A.’s shoulder, before he immediately hid the pictures from her and unrolled them to see what he needed to prepare for. She was confused when he let off an excited shout and rolled them back up, before he stuffed the roll into his jacket pocket. He turned to face them, with a giant smile on his face.</p><p>                “Well, what is it ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “As the Keeper of the Sex, that is none of your concern,” he said. “You’ll find out eventually.”</p><p>                Tim gave him a smile, as if A. was a knight and he had seriously taken on one of the kingdom’s biggest quests on his own.</p><p>                “If you’re this firm with everyone else, we have nothing to worry about,” Jane joked.</p><p>                “Do you need me to send you Pin – It boards for ideas ?” Tim asked. “I mean, I know you’ve never planned one of these things, much less been to any of them.”</p><p>                “Why do I need Pin – It boards when I have a brain, and a Patience ?” A. asked. “But . . . do guys normally stay at these things or is it like a girl thing ? I wouldn’t want to make it super girly if a bunch of guys are going to be there.”</p><p>                “Well, at the very least, you, B., and myself will be there,” Tim explained. “I’ll send you a Pin – It board later, it has a few things that can get you started, and some of the mom bloggers are really helpful when it comes to this kind of stuff.”</p><p>                “And I’ll send you a checklist to keep you on track,” Jane added. “We can’t have you going off on these tangents or coming up with these elaborate ideas that we can’t reasonably accomplish.”</p><p>                “Oh, come on guys, you act like I didn’t built a life sized blimp out of candy wrappers that ran on sugar and candy flavoring in a day,” A. insisted. “You think that any measly gender reveal idea is going to get the best of me ?”</p><p>                “You did have five other people helping you,” Jane reminded. “Unless you have ways of getting help without revealing the sex of the baby to everyone getting invited to the party, you’re on your own, since we can’t help you with the planning part.”</p><p>                “I always figure something out !!” A. exclaimed. “I know a bunch of people that can help me out, and I have ways of hiding it from everyone, while still getting their help.”</p><p>                “We’ll believe it when we see it,” Tim said. “But we mean it. This is a huge responsibility that we’re trusting you with, you can’t tell a soul what Jane’s having, even at the party, before the actual reveal.”</p><p>                “You can trust me,” A. insisted. “I know I can do it this time. Stop worrying so much. I’m going to pull of the greatest gender reveal of all time !! They’ll talk about it on TubeyFeed, Pictogram, and even in the papers for years to come !!”</p><p>                He turned on his heel and exited the room.</p><p>                “Let’s get ice cream at Kustard Kones, it’s on me,” A. said. “Minus the fact that you have to drive us there.”</p><p>                He left Tim and Jane alone in the room for a moment, as he made his way out the dotcor’s office.</p><p>                “Do you think that this is a good decision ?” Jane asked. “I mean, I love A., but I just don’t want him to mess up, and . . . you know ?”</p><p>                “Look on the bright side,” Tim encouraged. “He might surprise us.”</p><p>                Tim felt his phone buzz in his pocket, before he took it out. He saw a notification for an e – mail, which set off alarms in his brain, as he typed in his PIN code and entered his e – mail app. Tim gasped as the name of the e – mail popped up on the screen.</p><p>                “Holy shit !!” he exclaimed.</p><p>                “What is it ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                She looked over his arm and gasped too.</p><p>                An e – mail from Anna Armstrong – Malarkey herself.</p><p>                Tim opened the e – mail, and began to read it aloud.</p><p>                “Dear Timothy and Jane Willoughby, after a long discussion with my brother . . .” he paused.</p><p>                His eyes scanned over the words on his phone screen, and he covered his mouth.</p><p>                “After a long discussion with my brother . . .” Jane continued. “We’ve decided to let you keep the money !!”</p><p>                “We were well aware of our parents’ treasure hunt as they had told us about it upon my father’s passing,” Tim continued. “There should be about one billion dollars in the attic, but please do not worry, that would be considered pocket change to us, and we would rather share the wealth like our parents would’ve wanted !!”</p><p>                “Congratulations on becoming billionaires and winning the Armstrong – Malarkey treasure hunt, please take care of their house, sincerely, Anna Armstrong – Malarky, C.E.O of Malarkey Corp. !!”</p><p>                “Tim !! Do you realize what this means ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “We’re freakin’ billionaires, Jane !!” Tim exclaimed. “Imagine what we could do with all that money !!”</p><p>                “Okay, okay, let’s be reasonable about this,” Jane stopped him. “If we start imagining all the flamboyant things we can do with that money, we’re going to run out of it as fast as we got it. We have to be careful about how we spend it. We can’t let this get to our heads.”</p><p>                Tim took a deep breath in, before he exhaled and nodded. She had a point. If he started imagining life in a yacht and a mansion on the outskirts of New York, they would lose that money within a matter of months. It could be used for good things, such as Jane’s business, the house as it grows, and the baby’s life once they were born. That didn’t mean they had to be stingy with it, but they couldn’t just go out and buy pointless things they didn’t need.</p><p>                “Right,” he agreed. “But we can also agree that we’re not telling everyone.”</p><p>                “Yeah, I think it’d be best not to,” Jane agreed. “Not because I don’t love and trust our family, but we don’t need everyone to know, at least not yet.”</p><p>                “Okay,” Tim said. “We should get going, who knows what kind of trouble A. got himself into.”</p><p>                They both exited the room in order to leave the doctor’s office. Once they were out the door, and in the waiting room, the woman from earlier glared at them.</p><p>                “Get your mangy mutt out of here,” she snapped at the both of them.</p><p>                She pointed at A., who was seated in the chair next to her, as he chatted away about the gender reveal party.</p><p>                “Come on, A.,” Tim said. “Don’t you want to get sherbert ?”</p><p>                “Well, I have my dairy pills, so if I get ice cream it won’t be that bad,” A. reasoned.</p><p>                “You better not vomit all over my car,” Jane scolded. “I’m not cleaning that up, without vomiting even more.”</p><p>                “What do you think I am ?” A. asked.</p><p>                The three Willoughby siblings left the doctor’s office in order to head back to town, and have a small ice cream date before A. had to go back home and talk centerpieces and flowers with Patience.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm so sorry this one is so short !! A lot of things happened within my family today, and I simply didn't have enough time or energy to crank out a huge chapter, but I hope this one is still enjoyable !!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Vemodallen and Party Planning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕪 :</p><p>𝕍𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕕𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟 𝔸𝕟𝕕 ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                “And what are these plastic babies for ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “It’s for a <strong><em>game</em></strong>, B.,” A. explained. “We put them in ice cubes for the drinks, and the first person to have a baby fully melted out of their ice cube wins the game.”</p><p>                “Where’d you come up with that idea ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “Tim sent me a bunch of ideas from Pin – It,” A. said. “And Patience helped me with the decorations and stuff. Like the baby betting sign. I sat there all night thinking of something to put on that stupid chalkboard, but then she came up with that cute rhyme.”</p><p>                “’He, She, or They; What do you say ?’,” B. read. “Aw, that’s cute !!”</p><p>                “You know what’s really cute ?” A. asked.</p><p>                He pulled his shirt down and showed his twin what it said. ‘Keeper of the Sex’.</p><p>                “I got it made on Springshirt,” he explained. “And Patience made Tim and Jane these cute little brooches.”</p><p>                “I think Jane’s is called a mum,” B. commented. “Brooches are for guys. At least, I think brooches are for guys ? Or is it boutonnieres ?”</p><p>                The doorbell of House Willoughby rang, and A. ran to get the door, as he expected for Patience to return so she could go to the backyard and begin setting up a photo wall against the shed, as well as outdoor seating and some of the games, if guests wanted to sit outside or eat. It was rather chilly, so they were welcome to sit anywhere. A. opened the door to see his wife and her polar opposite best friend.</p><p>                “Hey hon’, Sabrina,” he greeted.</p><p>                “Hey darlin’ !!” Patience greeted. “I just thought I could bring Sabrina by and let her give her artistic expertise towards some of the more appearance related kinda things. She’s real good at makin’ things look nice !!”</p><p>                “The more the merrier,” A. agreed. “So, we have the inside to decorate, and the outside.”</p><p>                “I think I can do the entire photo wall,” Sabrina offered. “And once I’m done with that, I can come inside and start putting up the decorations.”</p><p>                “The stuff for the photo wall is outside on the table where we have the props for the pictures,” A. said. “Let us know if you need any help, or if you need us to come and look.”</p><p>                “I can help you, sugar,” Patience told Sabrina. “The boys are in here, fixin’ up the foods, games, and drinks.”</p><p>                Both women went to the backyard and A. returned to the kitchen island, where B. filled ice trays with water and plastic babies to be put into cups. He was perplexed by his other twin, as B. stared out the window above the sink at both Patience and Sabrina, as they chatted about possible plans for the photo wall.</p><p>                “Are you okay ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Who</em></strong> is <strong><em>that</em></strong> ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “Oh, that’s Sabrina, Patience’s best friend,” A. answered. “Why ?”</p><p>                “Is it getting hot in here, or is it just <strong><em>her</em></strong> ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “Tim and Jane left the air conditioner on for – oh !!” A. started. “Do you want me to introduce you to her ? Maybe you guys might hit it off here !!”</p><p>                “What ? I can’t <strong><em>talk</em></strong> to her !!” B. exclaimed. “She seems <strong><em>way</em></strong> too cool !!”</p><p>                “<em>Oh</em> <strong><em>my</em></strong> <strong><em><span class="u">god</span></em></strong>,” A. laughed. “We’re not in high school anymore, the only thing that could make you uncool as an adult is a shitty credit score, a crippling drug addiction, or a job at Ham Bros..”</p><p>                “I work at a skateboard shop and live in a studio apartment, A. !!” B. exclaimed. “I am like the least cool guy there is to know !! <strong><em>You’re</em></strong> the <strong><em>cool</em></strong> twin, you always have been !!”</p><p>                “B., you’re the cool twin !!” A. insisted. “You’ve been to Paris, Macchu Piccu, Japan, Bora Bora – you toured Europe when you went abroad for college !!”</p><p>                “And all I got out of it was a stupid, useless art <strong><em>history</em></strong> degree !!” B. argued.</p><p>                “Sabrina loves art !!” A. exclaimed. “Maybe you guys could talk about it. Come on, let me introduce you !!”</p><p>                He grabbed his twin by the wrist and dragged B. to the porch before he waved to Patience and Sabrina, who stopped what they were doing to come and see what A. needed.</p><p>                “Be cool,” A. whispered.</p><p>                “I don’t know how to do that !!” B. whispered, a little louder.</p><p>                “Shh,” A. hushed. “I got this.”</p><p>                They walked up the porch steps, and Patience flipped her hair from out of her face, as Sabrina adjusted her enormous floppy hat and slid her sunglasses up further on her nose. A. didn’t think she ever took either of those things off . . . come to think of it; what was Sabrina’s eye color again ?</p><p>                “Sabrina, this is my twin brother, B.,” A. introduced. “He has a degree in art history and is a total nerd about that art stuff. Maybe you guys could work together on the photo wall while Patience and I do the other stuff inside ?”</p><p>                “A. !!” B. whispered.</p><p>                “That sounds like a great idea !! I could go inside and help cook up the food while y’all stay out here and do the artsy – fartsy stuff,” Patience suggested. “Besides, he’s way taller than I am, and he doesn’t have acrylics on.”</p><p>                Patience nudged B. to the side as he began to awkwardly chat with Sabrina about the photo wall. She followed A. inside the house, and began started to get all of the things they had to cook in order so she could begin cooking the food that needed to be done within the next few hours.</p><p>                “Have you heard anything from Tim and Jane about when they’re coming back ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Nope, not yet,” Patience asked. “Jane said that it took forever to get a seat at that breakfast café you sent them a link to. But, that’s what you were plannin’ on, right ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, so they don’t unexpectedly come back home while we’re still setting up,” A. answered. “This party is going to be off the rails !! Which is saying a lot since we can’t have alcohol here.”</p><p>                “Well, I’d rather us all not drink at a party than your brother get hammered and make a spectacle of himself,” Patience claimed. “Poor Jane would be so embarrassed, bless her heart.”</p><p>                “Yeah, you’re right,” A. agreed. “But imagine having after birth cocktails and mom – osas. or even Jungle Juice !! That would be sure to get the party turned up within the first fifteen minutes.”</p><p>                “That Jungle Juice crap is nasty,” Patience said. “I’d rather have a mason jar of my granddaddy’s moonshine.”</p><p>                “The last time you had moonshine you ended up in a bush, stripped all the way down to your underwear,” A. teased. “You may like moonshine, but it doesn’t like you.”</p><p>                “Oh hush,” she chided. “I could say the same for you and dairy products.”</p><p>                “A life not lived with a little suffering is a life not lived at all,” A. claimed. “Besides, regardless if they call rainbow sherbet ‘Superpowered Sherbet’, it’s not as good as getting two giant scoops of chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone. I would kill a man to have that right about now.”</p><p>                “Well, if you have any sort of dairy today, you’re holdin’ your own hair back while you puke up in the toilet,” Patience joked. “I just got my acrylics done yesterday for this gender reveal.”</p><p>                “So you’re thinking Jane’s having a girl ?” A. asked.</p><p>                Patience spun around in her blush pink dress and showed her bright pink, daisy printed nails off to her fiancé. She shut her eyes to reveal her eyeshadow which considered of both grey and pink.</p><p>                “The grey’s for the solidarity of them folks that don’t think a boy or a girl fits ‘em,” Patience explained. “But, I’m hopin’ it’s a girl. I feel like a little girl would be fun for the both of ‘em. Tim would definitely be wrapped around her lil’ finger and Jane would have a little one to do girly things with. Besides, a <strong><em>miniature</em></strong> Jane; wouldn’t that be the cutest little thang ?”</p><p>                “Tim would definitely bend over backwards for a girl, but he’d bend over backwards for a boy too,” A. claimed. “He’s just happy that he’s finally kind of getting his dream of being a dad. He’s going to be a great one too, this kid’s going to give him more purpose in life.”</p><p>                “I think you’d be a great daddy too,” Patience encouraged. “Our kids would never be bored, and they’d always have someone to make ‘em laugh. If you treat them even a fraction of how good you treat me, they’ll be the luckiest kids in the world.”</p><p>                He tensed at the notion of himself and Patience having their own kids, mainly due to the conversation he overheard between Jane and her doctor when he went to the appointment last week. Would Patience have those weird things happen to her ? Would Patience be up in the middle of the night as she puked her brains out ? Would she get all bloated and big ? Would she even be the same person ?</p><p>                “We’re, uhm . . . we’re not having kids for awhile, right ?” A. asked. “We can wait until I start losing my hair ? Right ?”</p><p>                Patience simply laughed at his panic, and he could tell that she didn’t get how nervous the thought of kids made him, but he didn’t dare have the heart to tell her how he truly felt. He loved Patience more than anything in the world, and if he had to give up building for her, he would in a heartbeat, but to think of her as she changed so drastically, the thought <strong><em>terrified</em></strong> him.</p><p>                “What if we start after our honeymoon ?” she asked. “Then we’d both be so young, and we could actually have the energy to keep up with them. Nobody would have to wheel us up the bleachers to watch them graduate high school. We’d have more time on Earth to spend with the little buggers.”</p><p>                “But, what if we did wait ?” A. asked. “Then we’d have more wisdom and knowledge to share with them. We’d have more time to think and we’d be more prepared. We wouldn’t mess up as much because we got the hang of, y’know, life ?”</p><p>                She sighed before she put tinfoil over the basted and seasoned brisket and put it in the preheated oven. She moved onto the potatoes, as she peeled them to make potato salad.</p><p>                “You have a point there . . .” she pouted. “But, I kinda want a baby soon. I don’t want to wait too long, and eventually not be able to have them anymore. You can have kids for the rest of your life, but women, we . . . our stuff stops workin’ when we’re about forty, and then we go through menopause.”</p><p>                He began to sweat at her disappointment. Should he sweep all the food off the table and they start trying then and there ? Even he knew that was crossing a line, this wasn’t even their house. B. and Sabrina were right in the backyard !! On top of those two things, Smokey and Grandpa had been resting under the shelving that separated the living room from the hallway, and he could not do that while they looked at them ( even if he couldn’t see Grandpa’s eyes from under those bushy eyebrows ).</p><p>                “Look at your brother and Sabrina,” Patience commented. “Oh my good Lord, bless his little heart. He likes her !! Look at them, they’re so cute !! He’s all nervous !!”</p><p>                Thank god, she changed the conversation. That totally meant that he didn’t have to address the elephant in the room !! Maybe she’ll forget all about this whole baby thing she had in her mind. It was probably just the vibes that a gender reveal gave off, and it got women all stirred up.</p><p>                “I told him to talk to her about art, since she does all those poetry things and paintings,” A. commented. “He can’t talk to a girl to save his life. That’s why I had a girlfriend throughout high school and he didn’t.”</p><p>                “You dated Fannie Martinelli,” Patience reminded. “I wouldn’t quite call her a catch.”</p><p>                He gave his fiancée a smile and batted his eyes at her.</p><p>                “She wasn’t nearly as good of a catch as you,” he crooned. “I remember just going to the Farmer’s Market just to watch you from other booths, before I finally got the courage to talk to you.”</p><p>                “So you creeped on me for God knows how long before you came and asked me for beets ? You don’t even like beets !!” Patience exclaimed. “How romantic.”</p><p>                “First of all, beets make your pee red, and I thought I was dying when I first ate them,” A. reasoned. “And second of all, I didn’t know how to talk to you !! You were <strong><em>pretty</em></strong>, and your <strong><em>voice</em></strong> was <strong><em>pretty</em></strong>, and the way you <strong><em>moved</em></strong> was <strong><em>pretty</em></strong> – I have had girlfriends, and girls I talked to, but none of them were pretty like you.”</p><p>                She gave him a smile and walked around the island to give him a giant hug and a kiss on the cheek that left a bright pink lipstick mark on his cheek.</p><p>                “I can’t stay mad at you,” she laughed. “You’re not too bad yourself, stud.”</p><p>                He gave her a kiss on the forehead and swept her hair out of her face. A. smiled at her, as he knew that he could never be mad at her. All those years of begging made those eyes irresistible. He pulled her in for another kiss, before she shoved him up against the sink and grabbed him by sides of his leather jacket.</p><p>                She had him pinned against the sink and one leg was wrapped around her as they showered eachother in frenzied kisses.</p><p>                Both froze at the sound of a throat being obnoxiously cleared. After they figured that it wasn’t eachother, they looked at the back door to see Sabrina as she shielded her eyes, and B. with his face a bright red.</p><p>                “There’s bedrooms upstairs !!” B. shouted.</p><p>                Patience let go of A. and brushed out the wrinkles of her dress as she bit the inside of her cheek, A. adjusted his jacket and ran his hands through his hair to get all the stray hairs back on his head.</p><p>                “So, uh, what did y’all need ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “The photo wall is finished,” Sabrina answered. “Do you guys want to come and see it ?”</p><p>                Both A. and Patience instantly, albeit awkwardly, answered a repeated amount of ‘yes’s before they followed B. and Sabrina out to the shed wall. They managed to put up a white and grey chevron patterned sheet that Jane A. had bought while he was out shopping for these supplies, as well as another chalkboard, covered in streamers and tiny balloons, with a message in Sabrina’s cursive that said the same thing Patience’s chalkboard did inside; ‘He, She, They; What do you say ?’. The chalkboard read at the bottom ‘#BabyWilloughbyGenderReveal’.</p><p>                “Like the hashtag ?” B. asked. “I came up with it.”</p><p>                “With my help,” Sabrina corrected. “He wanted to put ‘#TimJaneGenderReveal’, but you don’t want people to get the wrong idea.”</p><p>                “Oh please,” Patience giggled. “You have not seen Tim and Jane around eachother. Sometimes they act more like a damn married couple than married couples do. I love ‘em both, don’t get me wrong !! They just have their way of doin’ things is all. They’ve been around eachother enough to be comfortable and that’s what matters.”</p><p>                “Does Tim even use his room anymore ?” B. asked. “Every time I talk to him about their morning routine, he always mentions that he wakes up in Jane’s bed. It’s like his room functions more as his personal storage unit than it does a bedroom, and we put all that work into it.”</p><p>                “To each’s own,” Patience commented. “When my family would go down to my granny’s house back down in Georgia, my granny, mom, and I would all sleep in the same bed, while my daddy slept on the recliner, and my brothers slept all bundled up in two queen sized beds and an air mattress. It’s comfortin’ to have someone to snuggle with at night, and they both used to have someone when they were with another person. Maybe they miss the comfort of another person.”</p><p>                “I doubt Queen and Tim or Jane and Troy ever cuddled anymore,” A. commented. “But, I like cuddling at night too. It makes the world feel a little less lonely, especially after a bad day.”</p><p>                “Cuddling helps heal the soul, as two people exchange energy and help take away the bad energy and replace it with good energy,” Sabrina added. “It’s soothing and necessary to cuddle. Your soul and mind need to feel affection, as affection is something that replenishes the body.”</p><p>                “That must be why I’m so tired all the time,” B. said. “I’m single. I don’t have anyone to cuddle with.”</p><p>                “I’m single too,” Sabrina claimed. “But I do have Chanceux, my cat. She has a lot of good energy to give, and she loves to cuddle. A very wise, and old soul in a little body.”</p><p>                “I love cats !!” B. exclaimed. “They’re uh, cute, little, furry . . . <strong><em>things</em></strong> !!”</p><p>                Sabrina didn’t respond to him with anything other than a blank stare.</p><p>                “We should go inside and get started in there,” Sabrina said. “I’m sure Patience and A. are busy cooking in the kitchen.”</p><p>                She left to go back inside the house, and left B. outside for a moment with A. and Patience.</p><p>                “You couldn’t tell that I hate cats, right ?” B. asked. “I don’t want her to think I hate her cat when I haven’t even met the uhm . . .<strong><em>thing</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “<strong><em>Cat</em></strong> ?” Patience corrected. “You could just say cat, without callin’ the poor animal a thing.”</p><p>                “Ah, well, I hate beets and I lied to Patience for months about liking them,” A. claimed. “Who knows, maybe you might actually like <strong><em>her</em></strong> cat !!”</p><p>                “There’s a first time for everything, I guess,” B. sighed. “I really shouldn’t keep her waiting. I’m going to go and help her.”</p><p>                “Just be yourself !!” Patience suggested.</p><p>                “And lie about liking cats,” A. added. “Fake it ‘til you make it !!”</p><p>                Patience elbowed him in his side and shook her head.</p><p>                “That’s awful advice !!” she scolded.</p><p>                “You have no idea how often guys do that,” A. justified. “I pretended to like beets and pretended to know how to ride a horse when I fist met you, and we’re getting married in the next few months.”</p><p>                “But remember the trouble it got you into ?” Patience said. “Pinto nearly knocked the wind outta you when you tried to hop onto her back from behind. I’m surprised you didn’t break any ribs.”</p><p>                “I still ended up winning your heart,” he reminded. “And eventually I did figure out how to ride horses, after you taught me. The same thing will happen with B.. He says he hates cats now, but if they started dating, I’m sure he would be a self – proclaimed cat expert within a few months into the relationship, and be taking embarrassing pictures of him and the cat in matching shirts for Pictogram in no time.”</p><p>                “Oh, did you see the little sweaters Jane put Grandpa and Smokey in for the party ?” Patience asked. “They look like they’re wearin’ little dapper tuxedos. Her boys are all so dressed up. Wait until we have kids, they’ll be in flannels and nice jeans or pretty little dresses and bows almost every day.”</p><p>                “We could get them cute little leather jackets,” A. responded. “And little boots.”</p><p>                “And you can’t forget gettin’ them their first cowboy hat,” she agreed. “A country kid’s first accessory should always be boots and a hat.”</p><p>                “Just wait, within these next ten years, we’re going to have the cutest kid out of the Willoughby siblings yet,” A. proclaimed.</p><p>                “Ten years ?” Patience asked. “I’m gonna be in my thirties in the next ten years.”</p><p>                The familiar chill of screwing up crawled up A.’s back once again. He grabbed her by her shoulders and gave her a panicked smile that he tried so desperately to cover up and call ‘encouraging’. His eyebrows gave his panic away, and they couldn’t help themselves from knitting up on his forehead.</p><p>                “Okay, okay, maybe not ten !!” he exclaimed. “How does eight sound ?”</p><p>                Her expression did not change as she grabbed his hands, and put them back towards his body. She crossed her arms and pouted.</p><p>                “Eight years ain’t much different than ten years,” she reasoned. “That’s still a long time, A..”</p><p>                “Okay, fine,” he sighed. “Maybe . . . look, honey, I’m just not <strong><em>ready</em></strong> for kids right now.”</p><p>                Patience raised an eyebrow and put a hand on his arm. She gave his bicep a squeeze as she sat him down on one of the lawn chairs that was tucked under a folding table that had confetti scattered across the top.</p><p>                “What do you mean ?” she asked. “I feel like this is a conversation we should have . . . <strong><em>before</em></strong> we get married. You used to say that you couldn’t wait to have kids. What changed ?”</p><p>                He put his hand on top of hers, but he couldn’t stand to look her in the eyes. He couldn’t bear it if this broke her heart to the point of not wanting to be with him anymore, but he’d understand. She needed to be with a guy that wanted to do all these things with her, and he wanted her to be happy more than anything, even if that meant that he wasn’t the one that could make her happy.</p><p>                “I guess I’m just . . . <strong><em>scared</em></strong>,” he sighed. “When I went with Tim and Jane to that appointment, I learned a lot about what happens during a pregnancy. Women change a lot when they’re pregnant, their feet get bigger, they put on tons of weight, they get these insane mood swings. I guess . . . I’m just scared of losing <strong><em>you</em></strong>.”</p><p>                She rubbed his bicep and scooted her chair closer to him.</p><p>                “Barnaby Alan Willoughby, that’s some crazy talk if I ever heard it,” she giggled. “Of course, a woman’s body changes when they’re pregnant, but that doesn’t mean who she is does too. Jane’s put on some weight, and sometimes she has some real vile mood swings, but she’s still your sister, right ?”</p><p>                “Right,” A. agreed.</p><p>                “If we have kids, sure, I’m gonna get some boats for feet, and I might cry over seein’ dewdrops on blades of grass before gettin’ all worked up over how hot it is, but I’m still gonna be Patience Hope Willoughby,” she soothed. “I’m still going to be your wife. I’m gonna get pregnant, not amnesia.”</p><p>                He laughed at her joke before he leaned on her shoulder.</p><p>                “I still don’t think I’ll be ready for all those changes right after we get married,” he commented. “But who knows ? I might change my mind.”</p><p>                She kissed his forehead and ran her hands through his hair.</p><p>                “How about we take it at our own pace, and we don’t try to force anything to happen ?” she asked. “If it happens at our honeymoon, it happens then. If it happens in five years, it happens.”</p><p>                He sat up and kissed her cheek.</p><p>                “I think I’d like that,” he agreed. “But we should still be safe, and not be careless. I like surprises as much as anyone, but the timing still has to be . . . right, y’know ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, I know,” she answered. “But don’t be afraid of it happenin’. I’m goin’ through it as much as you are, if not, even more, since I’d be the one havin’ the baby.”</p><p>                She got up from the chair and pushed it back under the table.</p><p>                “I gotta go check on the roast, darlin’,” she said. “Are you gonna go and finish all those other games ?”</p><p>                He got up from his chair and nodded, before he followed Patience inside the house, where she went to the kitchen to check on the brisket. A. went and saw Sabrina and B. as they hung up the final banner across the living room’s window.</p><p>                “Wow !! You two make a great team !!” A. exclaimed. “This place looks amazing, I’m sure Tim and Jane will be so impressed !!”</p><p>                “You really think so ?” B. asked. “Well, Sabrina was really the brains behind the operation. She knows a lot about interior design and how things should look.”</p><p>                “I wanted to be an interior designer when I was a kid, but my mom wanted me to work in our family deli,” Sabrina explained. “I ended up selling cold cuts and challah bread out at the market, as well as my art.”</p><p>                “Challah bread ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, it’s a Jewish delicacy,” Sabrina answered. “But, I won’t lie, challah bread with butter and honey is a very tasty snack on a day where my body needs to rest.”</p><p>                “Maybe I should swing by the market and buy some,” B. commented.</p><p>                “I’m there every Saturday,” Sabrina answered. “I’m at Nietzsche Deli every other day of the week. Speaking of, I should probably head back home. My ma probably wants me to start making the balls for Matzah Ball soup.”</p><p>                “Oh come on, you can’t stay for the party ?” A. asked. “You helped so much, and it’s not like the soup is going anywhere. I’m sure you’d love to meet Tim and Jane, and they’d want to know who really designed this place, because they know that I wouldn’t be capable of this.”</p><p>                She stood and thought for a moment.</p><p>                “Well, my sisters are there and I’m sure that if I called my bubbe, she wouldn’t mind heading over to help,”  Sabrina reasoned. “I’ll talk to my bubbe, and if she wants to go to help my ma.”</p><p>                She pulled her phone from her pocket and went to the back porch to make her phonecall.</p><p>                “Holy shit !! I have to go to the farmer’s market Saturday !!” B. exclaimed.</p><p>                “I told you that you’d score !!” A. exclaimed.</p><p>                His phone buzzed and once he read his message, he knew that Tim and Jane were on their way back from their brunch outing.</p><p>                “They’re on their way back.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Celebration Of Morii</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕪 - 𝕆𝕟𝕖 :</p><p>ℂ𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗 𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕚</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p> </p><p>                The party was currently in full swing, as everyone, except for Ruth, who was invited had began to play the bean bag toss that was set up outside. Most of the food was gone and the brisket pan only had scraps of meat left that Jane and Tim could feed to Smokey and Grandpa later, because both owners saw their poor cats as they eyed the food.</p><p>                It was crazy to see how dedicated their friends were to their respective genders, and incredibly nice to see touches of grey in every outfit in solidarity of if the baby felt more comfortable as something other than their assigned gender at birth. Even Candace understood the reasoning behind the grey, as she wore grey makeup and a shiny grey lipstick that matched her stunning pink coat. It was funny to see Randy, who Jane was more used to seeing in either uniform or pop – culture t – shirts in a pink tracksuit with a grey t – shirt and Bea in blue tracksuit with grey sneakers. All three of their boys were dressed in blue, and told Jane as soon as they entered the door that they thought she was having a boy ( well, Hamish was more focused on the cake pops that were on the kitchen island, but he was three, so Jane didn’t expect any different ).</p><p>                The clashing of pans was heard all around the house as A. and B. walked around, as they clanged two pans together over their heads.</p><p>                “Okay, everyone, it’s game time !!” A. claimed. “Everyone meet up in the backyard for the games.”</p><p>                Tim came up from behind Jane and put his arm around her shoulders as they walked outside with the rest of their guests. Everyone at the party was outside as they took seats on the porch steps or the folding chairs outside.</p><p>                “Okay, so we have a few games planned for this gender reveal, and I assume everyone has started playing a few,” A. announced.</p><p>                “I have sixteen pins because I haven’t said ‘infant’ yet,” Josephine announced.</p><p>                “Isn’t that game called ‘Don’t Say Baby’ ?” Olive asked.</p><p>                “Your pins, hand ‘em over,” Josephine joked.</p><p>                Olive groaned at the realization that she indeed say the one word they weren’t supposed to say. She unclamped the four clothespins she had on her pink sweater and slid them across the table to Josephine.</p><p>                “You’re great at this game, mama !!” Monica exclaimed.</p><p>                Josephine simply ruffled her daughter’s hair and smiled.</p><p>                “My water just broke !!” Clementine exclaimed.</p><p>                She tilted her cup towards everyone to show that her ice cube that contained one of the plastic babies had completely melted and there was now a few half melted ice cubes and a singular plastic baby floating in her cup of fruit punch.</p><p>                “And it seems we have a winner,” B. commented. “Let me go back inside to get Clementine her prize.”</p><p>                “Anyways, I have a few more games planned, first of which, is a game I like to call ‘Don’t Break The Water’,” A. explained. “It’s a partner game, and since you guys all wrote your names down on popscicle sticks when you came in, we’re going to draw names from the mason jar of names, and you’ll be partnered with that person. We’re all friends here, don’t worry.”</p><p>                Patience brought him the mason jar of sticks so he could pull out the names. The only two who’s names weren’t in the jar were Tim’s and Jane’s, because, considering they were the parents, they would be partnered together. It was only natural.</p><p>                The first pair of sticks were drawn and over the course of the sticks being drawn, Patience and Connor were partnered, Josephine and Sabrina, Hamish and Monica, Victor and Olive, Clementine and B., Damien and Candace, Randy and Lars, A. and Celeste, lastly, Bea and Julio, Josephine’s husband.</p><p>                “So the objective of the game is to not break the water balloon that’s handed to you,” A. explained. “The last one to break the balloon wins one of the prizes we have inside.”</p><p>                Everyone looked at the porch, as B. returned with a candle that was supposed to smell like vanilla cupcakes and he handed it to Clementine.</p><p>                “Sweet, a candle !!” she exclaimed.</p><p>                Everyone went with their respective partners as A. handed out the balloons to the pairs of people.</p><p>                “Ready, get set, go !!” B. announced.</p><p>                First the pairs started small, and even though they started small, Monica and Hamish broke their balloon after about four tosses. Thankfully, neither kid really cared as they gave up and went inside before they both returned with one of the onesie shaped cookies Patience had ordered for the party. The two kids sat on the porch and watched the others continue to play the game.</p><p>                Celeste and A. were nearly the next ones out as he fumbled the water balloon. He almost, nearly, by the fingers, caught it before it broke and exploded all over the ground.</p><p>                “C’mon A., don’t embarrass me like that !!” Celeste shouted, though her voice was laced with sarcasm.</p><p>                Randy looked towards them before he felt an impact against his cheek and the sensation of water splash against his face and chest.</p><p>                “Agh, Lars !!” he laughed.</p><p>                He looked to his partner and saw the man laugh at him, though he was completely silent other than the sound of his hands clapping.</p><p>                Jane and Tim were the next ones out, as Jane’s acrylic nails tore their balloon and it busted. Water splashed over the floor and she hitched her soft, polyester grey dress up, as not to get her flats or dress muddy.</p><p>                “Shit !!” she exclaimed.</p><p>                Tim ran over to get her away from the muddy spot so she didn’t lose balance or get her clothes dirty.</p><p>                “See, Jane, this is why I got coffin shaped nails,” Patience called to her.</p><p>                “Miss Patience, watch out !!” Connor shouted.</p><p>                It was too late, their water balloon splattered against Patience’s back, and they were also out.</p><p>                “That’s what you get for talking smack !!” Tim teased.</p><p>                “Oh, you hush !!” Patience shouted.</p><p>                “I mean, you do talk a lot of smack for someone that – oof !!” B. started.</p><p>                He looked down to see that the water balloon had hit him in the stomach and dribbled all the way down his stomach and pants.</p><p>                “Ah man !!” he exclaimed.</p><p>                “It looks like you peed your pants !!” Clementine laughed.</p><p>                “Because guys pee through their stomachs ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “I don’t know your life,” Clementine joked. “You might pee through your ears and I wouldn’t even know.”</p><p>                It seemed Candace and Damien were out next, but Candace, as old as she was, made a dive for their balloon, and came up with a face full of the mud that Jane had created, before she held the water balloon in her hands.</p><p>                “Safe !!” Candace exclaimed.</p><p>                “Damien Geoffrey !! You should never make an old lady fall over for something !!” Bea scolded.</p><p>                Her water balloon popped too, as it squeezed in her hands too hard and she tossed the rubber remains on the ground as she shook her head.</p><p>                “Parenting, am I right ?” Julio asked.</p><p>                Bea let off a laugh and shook her head.</p><p>                “You got that right,” she agreed.</p><p>                “You act like parenting is so hard,” Josephine commented. “You weren’t the one that Monica called the ‘mean mama’, the other day !!”</p><p>                Josephine was then startled by the water balloon as it popped at her feet.</p><p>                “Sabrina, I wasn’t ready !!” she exclaimed.</p><p>                “I thought you were always ready for everything,” Olive chided.</p><p>                Josephine then grabbed their water balloon from her son and popped it in her hands, before she flicked the water off her hands and onto her son.</p><p>                “Hey, that’s cheating !!” Olive exclaimed. “I call foul play !!”</p><p>                “Monica was right,” Victor exclaimed. “You really are a mean mama !!”</p><p>                “Does that mean we win ?” Damien asked.</p><p>                “We won !!” Candace exclaimed.</p><p>                She ran over and gave Damien a high – five and he taught her how to fist bump.</p><p>                “We make a great team, kiddo,” Candace complimented.</p><p>                “And you did a great job for an old lady,” Damien joked.</p><p>                “Let’s hear it for the winners !!” A. exclaimed.</p><p>                Everyone clapped and cheered for Candace and Damien’s win as B. ran back inside and came back with two pairs of fuzzy socks that had grey polka dots and grey stripes on them. B. handed them the pairs of socks they chose before Candace put hers into her purse and Damien went to stuff his pair of socks into Bea’s jacket pockets.</p><p>                “I think I might be borrowing those later,” Randy whispered to Bea.</p><p>                “No, you’re not, daddy,” Damien stated. “Your feet are too big, they’ll stretch my socks out !!”</p><p>                “Well, are my feet too big or are yours too small ?” Randy reasoned. “Because those socks are made for adults, and your shoes have a puppy face on the end of them.”</p><p>                Damien looked down at his feet and puffed out his cheeks in thought.</p><p>                “No,” he responded. “Your feet are too big.”</p><p>                “Onto the next game !!” A. announced. “Our next game is a baby bottle chug, you’re all going to get a bottle filled with juice, and the first one to finish their bottles wins the game. We have smaller bottles for the little ones, so we don’t have a pee fiasco later.”</p><p>                Patience ran back inside and came out with a wicker basket full of different bottles filled with fruit punch, and she handed the smaller bottles to the kids, and the regular sized bottles to the adults. She withheld the last bottle from Lars for a moment, before she leaned forward and was almost nose to nose with her Swedish rival ( she had to allow room for her face, so he could read her lips ).</p><p>                “This is your chance to settle the debate once and for all,” she whispered. “Can a Swede outdrink a country girl ?”</p><p>                He gave her a leer before he nodded.</p><p>                “We’ll see about that,” she said.</p><p>                She set down the basket, before she walked beside A. and grabbed an air horn from behind her husband.</p><p>                “Ready, set . . .”</p><p>                Then she raised the horn in the air and blared it to the sky.</p><p>                Everyone tilted their heads back, but Lars and Patience never broke eye contact as they basically siphoned the fruit punch through the nipple of the bottle like vacuums. Hamish and Monica seemed to still not care as they drank theirs slowly but Damien and Connor gulped theirs down like machines. Randy nudged the tweenage Victor in the shoulder, as he watched Josephine’s son do his best not to choke on the amount of apple juice down his throat. People began to pause as Patience and Lars were only about two ounces away from being done.</p><p>                “Holy shit, Patience is gonna win,” Jane commented.</p><p>                “Look at Lars, he’s chugging it down like he’s gone weeks without drinking,” Tim pointed out.</p><p>                “Come on, baby, you got this !!” A. shouted.</p><p>                “Lars, don’t let this girl bring shame to your heritage !!” Celeste begged. “Chug !! Chug !! Chug !!”</p><p>                Everyone began to cheer alongside Celeste, whether it be for Lars or for Patience. It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop when both respective parties slammed their bottles down on the table at the same time.</p><p>                “Who won ?” Olive asked.</p><p>                “I think they tied,” Julio claimed. “Did anyone else see differently ?”</p><p>                “My eyesight isn’t that great, but I think it was a tie,” Candace agreed. “We can all agree that it was a tie, right ?”</p><p>                Nobody could possibly object, everyone saw the same thing. The Swedish Man and the Country Woman had tied in the bottle chug, which meant the question was answered, unless someone brought out a beer funnel and another bottle of juice.</p><p>                Patience held her hand out to Lars, and shook his hand, before she gave him a smile.</p><p>                “Well, I guess that settles it,” she said. “Good job.”</p><p>                He signed something to her, as Celeste peeked over Josephine’s shoulder.</p><p>                “He said, ‘you too’,” Celeste interpreted.</p><p>                Patience pulled him into a hug which, while it caught him off – guard, he returned. They broke as B. returned with two baskets of coffee and tea products.</p><p>                “You’re lucky we bought two, to let the winner choose between in case they didn’t like coffee or tea,” B. explained. “Which one of you wants coffee and which one wants tea ?”</p><p>                Lars looked to Patience before he put his hands on the coffee basket.</p><p>                She nodded and allowed him to take the coffee basket as she took the tea basket.</p><p>                “I quite like a cup of tea in the morning, coffee gives me the jitters,” she explained.</p><p>                He pointed to his coffee basket before he pinched his fingers together and gave a chef’s kiss.</p><p>                “Alright, one last game before the gender reveal !!” A. exclaimed.</p><p>                Patience began to pass out sheets of paper to each of the guests, including Tim and Jane, and the slip read ‘Who Knows Mommy Best ?’. It had about ten questions, some were multiple choice and some were open ended. They consisted of questions like ‘What Were Mommy’s Cravings ?’ and ‘How Much Weight Did Mommy Gain ?’ as well as questions like ‘Would Mommy Drink Coffee Or Tea ?’ or ‘Would Mommy Rather Watch A Horror Movie Or A Chick – Flick ?’. Jane’s favorite question was at the bottom, ‘How Did The Baby Get Into Mommy’s Belly ?’.</p><p>                “None of the adults better get this last question wrong, ” Jane said. “I’ve told everyone at this party how they got in there.”</p><p>                She heard a few snickers and laughs come from her friends and family as they filled out the question and the sheets. Once everyone was finished filling out the answer sheets, they passed them to Jane. She began to read over the sheets of papers and saw the kids’ answers being things such as ‘A million pounds’ and ‘The baby got there because love put it there’, Clementine drew little doodles of onion rings next to the question ‘Which Food Made Mommy The Most Sick ?’, and Jane had to stop reading halfway through A.’s sheet due to his answer that was most definitely wrong in more ways than one.</p><p>                “A., what the hell ?” Jane laughed. “You jackass, that is the sickest thing I have ever read – and on top of that, you, of all people, know how the baby got there, and it wasn’t that !!”</p><p>                He laughed and shrugged.</p><p>                “I had to see how you’d react to seeing that,” he justified. “Your face was priceless !!”</p><p>                She slammed his paper down with the rest of them, before she finally came across Tim’s page. He got every single question right, and remembered the smallest details of her pregnancy that she didn’t think he’d possibly remember. He listed every craving she had, from Hawaiian pizza to baozi and pho. He even remembered the baby weight to the ounce and wrote ‘But you’ll be back to having a beach body in six months’ next to it. At the bottom, he wrote ‘I.V.F, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is how loved the baby’s going to be once they’re finally here, there’s so many people at this party that carry nothing but love and warmth for the baby, and I know that I’m the one that holds the most. It’s the highest honor I could’ve received to be called ‘Poppa’ by your baby – <span class="u">our</span> baby. You’re going to be a great momma and I’m going to do my absolute best to be the best life partner ( platonically, of course ) and best father to our baby. You two mean the world to me. Love, Tim.’</p><p>                She felt herself as she started to tear up and smile at the message. She looked up from his paper, directly at her brother, and she nodded.</p><p>                “Tim won,” she claimed.</p><p>                “That’s not fair, he was there the entire time !!” Olive exclaimed.</p><p>                “Okay, but I’m going to be honest with you,” Julio started. “I was constantly on business trips when Josephine was pregnant with Monica, I didn’t know much about the pregnancy until a few years after she was born.”</p><p>                “And look at her face, she’s about to cry,” Sabrina pointed out.</p><p>                “I am not !!” Jane exclaimed. “I just got something in my eye.”</p><p>                “It must’ve been really heartfelt if she’s crying,” B. added. “I haven’t seen Jane cry . . . ever ?”</p><p>                “She isn’t a crier, that’s for sure,” Patience claimed. “Whatever he wrote must’ve been real sweet.”</p><p>                Jane noticed A. had gathered up B., Lars, and Randy and brought them back into the house, but she assumed that they needed help with whatever type of gender reveal they were doing. Maybe it was something big !! She got up from her seat and moved to the one next to Tim’s, after she took his quiz and folded it into a small square that she tucked into her bra.</p><p>                “Oh !!” Patience exclaimed. “Tim, let me get your prize, it’s just right inside the dinin’ room.”</p><p>                She got up from the table and went back inside to get whatever prize was inside the house.</p><p>                “So, does anyone have any final guesses as what the baby’s going to be ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “I’m sticking to my guns,” Candance said. “You’re having a girl.”</p><p>                “Excuse me, Miss Candace, but I don’t speak wrong,” Bea teased. “She’s having a boy.”</p><p>                “As long as they’re healthy, does it really matter ?” Josephine asked.</p><p>                Clementine stood to show off her outfit, which consisted of a blue sweater that hung around her shoulders, a pink skirt, and grey leggings.</p><p>                “It’s all a spectrum,” Clementine claimed. “Whatever they want to be when they know for themselves, we’ll all be supportive of them.”</p><p>                “But for now,” Olive interrupted. “She’s having a girl. I’m going to record it all so I can send it to Willow and rub it into her face.”</p><p>                “She’s having a boy !!” Connor exclaimed.</p><p>                “I saw Miss Jane drop her shopping bags the other day,” Hamish added.</p><p>                “Only boys can make you that clumsy, my mommy said so !!” Damien finished.</p><p>                Everyone watched as Patience returned with a plush blanket and handed it to Tim, but they really paid attention when Lars and Randy used a dolly to wheel what looked to be a decorated refrigerator box onto the porch. The two men stepped down from the porch and allowed everyone to look at it. It was mainly black with a few white balloons and the party’s slogan of ‘He, She, They; What do you say ?’ across the front.</p><p>                “So, did anyone change their mind ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                Everyone began shouting over eachother as they cheered for the box to open.</p><p>                Tim and Jane stood before the box, and she leaned into him as he squeezed her close and tight. They had their eyes pasted onto the box and people began to count down from five to it opening, as what’s inside would reveal the question this whole party was about.</p><p>                “This is it, momma.” Tim whispered.</p><p>                Jane nodded and squeezed her eyes shut as she snuggled into Tim’s chest for comfort. She could hear the box break open and she squeezed her eyes shut even tighter as her grip latched onto Tim. A few pops were heard before the crowd broke into excited cheering.</p><p>                “Holy shit !!” Tim exclaimed. “Jane, look !!”</p><p>                She managed to open her eyes and her vision was flooded with one color. The balloons were the color, there was smoke that was the color, the Barnabys wore sparkly spandex shorts in that color, they had on grey and that color of war paint as they dropped their smoke cannons to the ground.</p><p>                That color was <strong><em>pink</em></strong>.</p><p>                “Oh my god, Tim !!” she cried. “We’re having a girl !!”</p><p>                “We’re having a Taffeta !!” he laughed.</p><p>                His arms were around her waist as he lifted her up onto his torso and he littered kisses all over her belly as she hugged onto his head. She looked through the tears that filled her arms to see every one of her guests as they hugged eachother. Young hugged the old, the neighbors hugged the bridal workers, Patience hugged Olive and Lars, Candace was group hugged by the Wolfe boys, new friends hugged old friends, and friends hugged family. Jane felt her heart flutter with love and excitement at this news, and at the intense amount of love that filled the backyard. She swore she even saw Sabrina and Josephine smile and hug eachother, even though neither woman seemed to be the hugging type.</p><p>                Tim eventually put her down, and she saw that he indeed cried too. Happy tears. That’s all anyone that was crying did cry. She pulled him into a hug and nuzzled their noses together in a sweet, soft bunny kiss. She wanted to kiss him, that’s how excited she was, but she wouldn’t go that far, especially with all these people around.</p><p>                “We’re having a Taffeta,” he whispered. “Oh my god, I’m so happy.”</p><p>                He cried through those last few words and she couldn’t fight back the happy sobs that came out of her too. She nodded and used her thumbs to wipe his tears away. It was as if she had seen Tim in a totally new light. She saw him as the embarrassing soccer dad that drove a station wagon even though he didn’t have kids, the jerk older brother that teased her about how loud she threw up. Right now, in this moment, Jane Florence Elizabeth Willoughby saw Timothy Anthony Malachy Willoughby as one of the things he is and will always be. Her platonic life partner, the man that stepped in to help her raise her baby, Taffeta’s poppa.</p><p>                “You’re a poppa,” she reminded. “You’re going to be the best poppa to Taffeta. I just know it.”</p><p>                He pulled her back into another hug and ran his fingers through her hair as the tears still traveled down his face.</p><p>                “And you’re going to be amazing too, momma.”</p><p>                This was as amazing as the party could go, and there was now a name to be put to the little silhouette on the ultrasounds. The baby immediately felt more human, and Jane couldn’t express the love she felt in words. This was a milestone for the new family of Willoughbys which now consisted of Tim, Jane, and baby Taffeta.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chrysalism / A Cocoon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕪 - 𝕋𝕨𝕠 :</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕪𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕞 / 𝔸 ℂ𝕠𝕔𝕠𝕠𝕟</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                Tim had just gotten out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He was exhausted due to the amount of activity that went on that day, and he was ready to snuggle up with Jane and restart the first episode of ‘Welcome to Mormontown’ that they’d fallen asleep to. There was a high chance of them falling asleep to it again, but he was willing to take that chance, because it was exhausting to see the same drama between the housewives of ‘Keepin’ It Real’. He needed some new drama.</p><p>                He went to his bedroom, which was basically a giant closet full of his own memories, in order to change into his pajamas. He hung his towel on the back of his door when he was done. Tim looked around his room and noticed his bed, untouched by people since the day they had moved in. He saw a rustle under the bed, before he noticed a brown striped tail. Tim got down under the bed to see Grandpa, as the cat pulled apart a small chunk of leftover brisket.</p><p>                “Cushing’s disease is a pain in the ass, huh ?” Tim asked. “You’re just getting very hungry, all at once. Maybe I should get you your medicine so you can be comfy for the rest of the night. How does that sound ?”</p><p>                Tim pulled the old cat out from under the bed before he carried him downstairs. He set Grandpa on the island before he went to the cabinet they kept the smaller pet supplies like wet food, harnesses, medicines ( for Grandpa’s Cushing’s disease and CBD drops for when Smokey was having a particularly angry day ), nail clippers, brushes, collars, and their little shirts and sweaters folded up neatly into little piles. He took out the bottle of medication before he went to get an unneedled syringe. Tim filled it with the recommended dosage before he went back to Grandpa and lifted one of his jowls to put the syringe under.</p><p>                Grandpa yowled and pulled away from Tim, before he sat, and faced away from the man that tried to give him his medicine. He licked his nose and pulled his tail in close to him.</p><p>                “Grandpa, please,” Tim soothed. “You’ll feel much better when we get your medicine in you.”</p><p>                He attempted to try again, but Grandpa simply did the same thing and swiveled around the counter to face opposite of Tim.</p><p>                Tim bit his lower lip and rubbed his neck. He shook his head as the thought of an idea that was incredibly stupid, but he still hoped, and really hoped would work. He leaked a little bit of the medicine out of the syringe before he faced Grandpa. He plastered a smile across his face and shook the syringe in front of the elderly cat’s face.</p><p>                “Here come the airplane,” he cooed. “<strong><em>Nnnnyoooom</em></strong>.”</p><p>                He guided the syringe towards Grandpa’s face, and the tabby cat leaned forward and sniffed the syringe. He thankfully lapped at the medicine that Tim pushed from the end of the syringe, and Tim gave a sigh of relief before he saw Jane, as she stood in the doorway to the hallway.</p><p>                “Did you just do the airplane thing with our <strong><em>cat</em></strong> ?” she asked.</p><p>                She shook her head and covered her mouth as she giggled.</p><p>                “Well, at least you’ll know how to make Taffeta eat her food when she gets here,” she claimed. “Thank you for giving him his medicine, I would’ve done it earlier, but I kind of spaced out.”</p><p>                “It was a long day today, good – but long,” Tim reassured. “The only reason I remembered was because he got into the sink and pulled a chunk of brisket off of the pan before he hid under my bed to eat it.”</p><p>                “You barely even use your bed anymore,” she said. “You’re always in mine.”</p><p>                Tim shrugged before he picked up Grandpa and tossed the syringe into the sink to be cleaned later.</p><p>                “I mean, we always watch trash T.V before we end up falling asleep next to eachother,” he explained. “I would sleep in my bed, but I always get so tired and end up falling asleep in your bed. Besides, your bed is comfortable.”</p><p>                “We have the same mattress,” she chuckled. “I think it’s all in your head.”</p><p>                “Okay, fine, you got me,” he sighed. “I just . . . I like being around you, and Taffeta. It makes me feel better and I feel like I sleep easier around you guys. It just feels nice to have someone there, and the cuddling is just a bonus.”</p><p>                “Well, to be fair, I like cuddling with you too,” she responded. “Troy and I never cuddled. Every time I even tried I was being ‘too needy’ and I needed to ‘take it down a few notches’ if we weren’t going to . . .”</p><p>                She began to sniffle and she wiped a tear from her face as one trailed down her cheek.</p><p>                Tim went and put Grandpa in her arms before he pulled her into a hug. He and Queen were never really intimate until late in their marriage when they tried to have kids, but that didn’t work out. Most nights they laid in bed and didn’t talk to eachother until they both fell asleep. It seemed Jane had the opposite problem.</p><p>                “I never <strong><em>wanted</em></strong> to do it, I was never in the mood,” she explained. “But I <strong><em>like</em></strong> cuddling. I would never tell anyone else, but I <strong><em>like</em></strong> to cuddle. I just don’t <strong><em>like</em></strong> to do the other stuff. It’s . . .”</p><p>                Tim squeezed her closer to him and ran his fingers through her hair.</p><p>                “You never have to do anything you don’t want to, not with me, not with any scumbag like Troy,” he soothed. “He should’ve respected that. He should’ve respected you. You had your boundaries, everyone does. It’s normally and it’s healthy to have them. You’re allowed to be upset at him because of that.”</p><p>                “It never went past making out,” she explained. “But he still <strong><em>tried</em></strong>, and he would put his hands up my shirt, and say the <strong><em>grossest</em></strong> things to me. It made me feel <strong><em>gross</em></strong>. I know I sound like a baby –“</p><p>                “You don’t sound like a baby, Jane,” he stated. “What you’re feeling is normal, because when someone boundaries are violated, they don’t feel respected, or they feel like it was their fault for happening, but you didn’t do anything wrong. You know that, right ?”</p><p>                She sniffed and nodded.</p><p>                “I know,” she sighed.</p><p>                “It’s not your fault,” he said. “Can you tell yourself that ?”</p><p>                She began to cry into him, as she shook her head.</p><p>                “<strong><em>No</em></strong>,” she whimpered. “<strong><em>Not</em></strong> <strong><em>yet</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “It’s all a process, Jane, and I’m here to get you through it,” he soothed. “We’ll get through it together, I promise.”</p><p>                She nodded and pressed her cheek against his chest.</p><p>                “Now, do you want to go and try to watch ‘Welcome To Mormontown’ or do you want to just try to go to sleep ?” he asked. “I’m okay either way. I get it if now’s not the time for T.V.”</p><p>                “Let’s go and try to get past the title sequence,” she said. “If we fall asleep, we’ll try again tomorrow.”</p><p>                He smiled and pulled back before he tilted her chin up. He shook her head slightly and scrunched his nose at her, in an attempt to lighten the mood and make her smile. He was successful, as the tiniest hint of a smile came upon her face and she scrunched her nose back at him.</p><p>                They both walked up to the master suite. Jane put Grandpa down at the end of the bed, where he kneeded at the blankets before he plopped down in his normal spot.</p><p>                She slid into her side of the bed, and adjusted to get comfortable as Tim went to the sinks in her bathroom and brushed his teeth. She began to scratch and pet Smokey as he came and laid in Tim’s spot as Tim finished up in the bathroom.</p><p>                “Who’s a good kitty ?” she cooed. “You are, yes, you are !!”</p><p>                Tim came back to the bed, and picked up his phone from the nightstand. He reached down to nudge Smokey over, but he was greeted by Smokey as he backed against Jane, raised his fur up, and hissed at him. Tim retracted his hand and raised his eyebrows.</p><p>                “C’mon Smokey,” he whined. “You know who I am, what’s the problem now ? Do you think he needs his CBD drops ? He might be a little stressed out due to all the people over today.”</p><p>                “I think he’s just getting protective,” Jane reasoned. “Cats can sense when their owner is pregnant, and they get protective. Especially tabby cats. They have strong instincts.”</p><p>                She picked up Smokey and put him on the other side of her, and he climbed over top her side, before he laid like an animal scarf that had been draped over her stomach.</p><p>                Tim laid in bed next to her and they shifted to get into their default cuddling position. Jane under his arm, her head on his chest, with one arm wrapped around him, and Tim with one arm around her shoulders, his cheek on top of her head, and his phone in between his knees so he didn’t have to hold it.</p><p>                “So . . . how was today ?” Jane asked. “For you, I mean.”</p><p>                “It was nice,” he responded. “We got to spend time with friends and our neighbors, and that brisket was amazing.”</p><p>                “Yeah, it really was,” Jane agreed. “Patience did a good job, but then again, she’s an amazing cook.”</p><p>                “You know, A. really surprised me today,” Tim sighed. “I didn’t think he’d get it all done, and would be struggling to get by until Patience came in and did everything for him, but he did an amazing job, even if he had a little bit of help.”</p><p>                “Yeah, I honestly thought he’d forget something important, or embarrass himself in front of everyone, but he did good,” Jane agreed. “I’m proud of him. It’s unlike him to actually plan things out, but great things come out of it when he does.”</p><p>                “How do you think B. is doing with the bachelor party ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “I don’t know, but what I do know is that I have an all exclusive bachelorette party to Vegas planned for Patience,” Jane commented. “We’re going to go clubbing, I’m paying for all the drinks, I’m going to take them to some shows.”</p><p>                “Oh, what kind of shows ?” Tim inquired.</p><p>                “Girl shows,” she teased. “You know, Chippendales ?”</p><p>                “Oh god, ew,” Tim groaned. “What’s so great about seeing a bunch of guys with their shirts off ?”</p><p>                “I don’t know, you tell me,” Jane stated. “You were the one that had that huge crush on Louie Ellington, that captain of the swim team back in middle school, and you would go to every swim meet just to watch him walk around in those tight red swimming trunks.”</p><p>                Tim had a furious blush come upon his face. That was one time, and that was the only guy he ever felt that way towards. Other than that, it was all women. He pushed Jane in her shoulder, and said exactly what he was on his mind.</p><p>                “That was one time !!” he exclaimed. “Besides, you have to admit that he was rather handsome.”</p><p>                Jane shrugged and nuzzled up into his neck as her eyes stayed on the title sequence as it introduced everyone in the family, from the parents, to the kids, and the oldest kid’s new wife.</p><p>                “I don’t get the appeal either, Tim,” she sighed. “Hell, I didn’t really think Troy was all that attractive either. He had a scratchy beard and a wispy mustache, and he rarely ever cleaned up. He always wore baggy hoodies and rarely wore a belt.”</p><p>                “A good man must always put on a belt,” Tim claimed. “I even have to wear one. It don’t quite have the tush to fill all my pants out. Thank god for sweatpants, because then I’d be wearing a belt to bed every night.”</p><p>                “You think belts are bad ?” she asked. “Try being pregnant. They make an entirely different kind of belt for that, just so my belly stays lifted up and I can fit into maternity leggings without getting a stupid imprint of the waistband into my skin.”</p><p>                Tim playfully cringed at the notion of a pregnancy belt. In his opinion, she didn’t need one. Her belly wasn’t even that big, since Taffeta was so little and her amniotic fluid content was rather low. The news was still concerning to him, because he wanted his baby to be healthy. He had seen documentaries about babies in the N.I.C.U, and it was rather heart – wrenching to see such small babies, as they cried for their moms, but they couldn’t see them, or touch them. Some of them are so sick that they have to stay there for months, while the parents have to go home, and some don’t even make it home. He couldn’t bear the thought of Taffeta being taken so fast, as soon as she was out the womb. She was his and Jane’s baby, and he wasn’t going to allow anything to happen to her if he had any say so.</p><p>                Tim felt his phone buzz against his kneecaps and both siblings groaned.</p><p>                “Ugh, we just got past the title sequence !!” Jane exclaimed.</p><p>                “Who would be texting me so close to midnight, anyway ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                He backed out of their show and both siblings sat up. Jane peered over his shoulders to see who would’ve texted so late at night. Didn’t normal people sleep at this hour ? She looked to see that it had been B.. What did he want ? Didn’t he have work the next day.</p><p>                Then the screen was taken up by a video call request from him.</p><p>                Tim furrowed his eyebrows and accepted his request. The screen was now taken up by B., as he laid back on his bed.</p><p>                “Hey ?” Tim answered. “What do you need ?”</p><p>                “Shouldn’t you be sleeping ?” Jane asked. “You need to take your ass to work tomorrow. You know how much teenagers love to skate on Sundays.”</p><p>                “Are you guys busy ?” B. asked. “I kind of need some advice.”</p><p>                “If she hasn’t responded to you, she’s probably sleeping,” Jane sighed. “She’ll answer you in the morning. Don’t look so desperate or you’ll chase her off.”</p><p>                “What are you talking about ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “Sabrina,” Jane responded. “A. and Patience told me everything.”</p><p>                “Those assholes !!” B. exclaimed. “Me and Sabrina, we’re just friends !! Besides, she’s like, totally out of my league, and she’s a cat person.”</p><p>                “So you’re letting a cat block you from putting on your big – boy sweater and asking her out ?” Jane asked. “I had a little more faith in you than that. You <strong><em>cannot</em></strong> be <strong><em>that</em></strong> awkward in front of girls.”</p><p>                “It’s not about that !!” B. whined. “It’s about something else !!”</p><p>                “Well then, what is it ?” Tim asked. “We were kind of in the middle of watching a show together.”</p><p>                “Ah, a little bit of D.V.D Master and Go Faster ?” B. joked. “Got ‘em !!”</p><p>                “<strong><em>Oh</em></strong> <strong><em>my</em></strong> <strong><em>god</em></strong> !!” Tim groaned. “What the <strong><em>hell</em></strong> is wrong with you ?”</p><p>                “<strong><em>B</em></strong>. !!” Jane scolded. “I already read enough of that from your <strong><em>brother</em></strong> today.”</p><p>                “What did you want ?” Tim asked. “If you’re going to make jokes like that I’m going to hang up on you. You and your brother really need to find some new material.”</p><p>                “Okay, okay, okay, don’t hang up !!” B. exclaimed. “I needed some advice. I’ve been planning A.’s bachelor party for about four months, and we’re only five months away from the wedding. I don’t have a lot of money, so I don’t know what I can do. Is there anything we can do that’s close, but still fun ?”</p><p>                Jane looked up at Tim before she bit her lip. Her eyes began to shimmer as she amped up the puppy eyes to him, and he immediately knew what her idea was.</p><p>                He sighed and nodded, before he handed the phone to Jane and she sat up to adjust her hair.</p><p>                “So, I was planning a huge trip to Vegas with the girls, and Tim and I might have enough in the bank to include the groom’s party with us,” she sighed. “That is, if you want to go to Vegas again.”</p><p>                “Well shit, if I’m not going to be the only sober one, I’m totally down !!” B. exclaimed. “What do you have planned ?”</p><p>                “Well, I was going to rent a private jet, that can sit up to nine people, but Ruth can’t go because I don’t know what kind of trouble a teenager can get into down in Vegas, especially when most of the adults are going to be . . . you know ?” she started. “But then I was going to book us one of the secret Villas at the Mirage, take us to see Chippendales, go clubbing, eat at some of the fanciest restaurants in Vegas, of course we’d go to Fremont one night. You get the picture ?”</p><p>                “Hell yeah !!” B. laughed. “This bachelor party is going to be off the freakin’ rails !! Thanks Jane, you’re a damn live saver !! I owe you one, I really do.”</p><p>                “You really do, you jerk,” she teased. “Get to bed, it’s getting late, and you don’t want those skater kids to take you down at the cash register.”</p><p>                “They ain’t got nothing on me, most of them are like, fourteen anyway,” B. responded. “But, I’ll let you old people get back to watching your show. Talk to you later, grandmas.”</p><p>                “Good night, dillweed,” she sighed.</p><p>                Jane handed the phone back to Tim before she rubbed her temples.</p><p>                “How much is that going to cost ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Not over a million dollars, probably about nine hundred thousand,” she sighed. “But don’t worry, there’s a freakin’ billion dollars in that attic of ours, but I couldn’t tell him that. At this rate, I wouldn’t tell Taffeta that either.”</p><p>                “It’s good to raise her humble,” Tim agreed. “The last thing I’d want in the house is two spoiled brats.”</p><p>                “It’s your fault for being so good to me !!” Jane blamed. “Maybe if you let me suffer a little, I wouldn’t be such a threat to you.”</p><p>                “You know I don’t have the heart to let you suffer !!” Tim exclaimed. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I knew that you or Taffeta were suffering and I wasn’t doing anything about it. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you two.”</p><p>                “Sometimes life needs a little pain,” she argued. “What’s the point of living if you’re always so sheltered ?”</p><p>                “You call it ‘sheltered’, I call it ‘safe’,” Tim stated. “Jane, I’ve suffered before, long after we were kids. I’ve been through a lot, lost a lot, done a lot. I don’t want you two to resort to doing some of the things I did, just because you’re desperate. As I said before, your dignity can go right out the window if you aren’t careful. If you let it get bad enough, you’ll be pissing on the subway walls.”</p><p>                “Ew,” Jane responded.</p><p>                “Exactly,” Tim confirmed. “Ew.”</p><p>                “Speaking of being safe, do you really think I should go to Vegas ?” Tim asked. “Do you think I’m ready to be in a place like that without . . . spiraling ?”</p><p>                “That’s all questions you have to answer for yourself,” Jane replied. “If you feel ready to be in a place like that, then I want you to go. I know B. already, and there’s going to be a few nights where he’s going to want to party with everyone else and I know at nine months pregnant, I might not want to be at the club all night. We don’t have to stay around the parties once they start getting wild, we could go back to the hotel and chill out.”</p><p>                She shrugged and adjusted Smokey on her stomach, so he wouldn’t smother Taffeta while she was in the womb.</p><p>                “But if you don’t feel ready, then stay here,” Jane encouraged. “I’ll call you every night to see how you’re doing, so you feel less alone.”</p><p>                Tim leaned back and thought to himself. He knew Vegas was dangerous, because it was a city that was always down to party. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, if you went into a bar or restaurant, it was always happy hour. If you turned down the right hallway or talked to the right person, they would give you that sweet, small bag full of that powdery, white blow. He could have Jane, Taffeta, a house, and a billion dollars in the attic one day and then it would all be completely gone the next. He didn’t particularly care about the money while he was sober, as that didn’t matter nearly as much as his family did. He could lose the money and the house for all he cared, but he could not, and he meant absolutely, positively could not lose Jane and their baby. It would be a risky decision for sure.</p><p>                Then another thought hit him, that could very well happen at home too. The project at Melanoff’s was in full swing, and everyone on both coasts worked their asses off. Some days, the only thing he looked forward to, and the only thing that kept him from going to the liquor store on Third Street was coming home to Jane and Taffeta. Even if they were only gone for a week, who knows what might happen in that amount of time ? He couldn’t just sit on the phone with Jane for every waking hour of the day, and he knew if he visited Nanny and Melanoff, he’d have to go home eventually, and then he would be alone, with one of the sketchiest liquor stores in New York City just a few minutes away.</p><p>                He finally weighed the pros and cons of both decisions, and decided officially about what he was going to do.</p><p>                “I’d rather be in Vegas with you, than by myself in a house,” Tim reasoned. “I trust you to be there for me, even if things get a little rough at times. You’ll help me if I start wanting to get drugs or start drinking, right ?”</p><p>                “Tim, I have to be able to trust that you’ll be on your best behavior too,” Jane insisted. “I can’t babysit you, and I might need your help if everyone else comes back drunk. It isn’t easy taking care of drunk adults, especially when there’s more than one. On top of that, I’m going to be as big as a freakin’ bloated whale, so it might be even harder for me to take care of them and move them. I need to trust you to help me too.”</p><p>                “Okay, so we’ll help eachother,” he agreed. “You keep an eye out for me and I’ll watch out for you too, but that means we can’t be away from eachother, at all. We have to stick together.”</p><p>                “I’m sure I can give my Chippendale ticket to one of the twins and buy another one for the other twin,” Jane reassured. “Besides, I don’t get the appeal anyways, so what’s the point of me going ?”</p><p>                “What else can we do there ?” Tim asked. “Won’t sitting in a hotel room be boring when there’s so much other things outside we can do ?”</p><p>                “Well, there’s a shopping center in Bally, a whole freakin’ mall in the Aria, restaurants in every casino, super legit professional magicians and high end circus acts, theatre performances,” Jane listed. “There’s all kinds of things we can do while we’re there and most of those things are far away from alcohol and drugs.”</p><p>                “You’re sure ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Positive,” Jane confirmed. “And I can’t or don’t want to do either of those things either, so while everyone else is doing the more traditional Vegas stuff, we can have fun somewhere else.”</p><p>                “But what if things get too expensive ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “We can always catch a movie, Planet Hollywood has a movie theater inside,” Jane explained. “And if you don’t want to do that, we can go back to the Villa and watch some more of this ‘Welcome To Mormontown’ thing, that is if we ever get past the title.”</p><p>                “You want to get back to watching it ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I would love nothing more,” Jane teased.</p><p>                They shifted back into their usual cuddling position, before Jane felt something inside her. For a second she thought it was gas, but then Smokey hopped off her belly too and backed up before his eyes widened and he stared at her belly.</p><p>                “What the ?” she started. “Wait, hang on.”</p><p>                Tim sighed and simply turned his phone off before he set it on the nightstand. He watched her as she placed her hands on her stomach. He then rose an eyebrow as he watched her face twist into confusion. Then a look of shock came, before it was replaced with a huge smile and tears began to fill her eyes.</p><p>                “Tim, give me your hand,” she said.</p><p>                “Uhm . . . okay ?” he agreed.</p><p>                She took his hand and placed it on one specific area of her stomach. For a minute, he too was confused . . . then surprised, as he felt something tap against his hand. He paid closer attention to what was going on, before he felt another tap. Tim smiled and his eyes widened upon the realization.</p><p>                “There she is . . .” Jane crooned. “There’s our baby.”</p><p>                He nodded and looked to her.</p><p>                “Yeah,” he whispered. “That’s our baby.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Xeno, But More</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕪 - 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 :</p><p>𝕏𝕖𝕟𝕠, 𝔹𝕦𝕥 𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕖</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                Jane heard a knock at the door as she and Tim laid on the couch and watched the newest episode of ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’. She sat up and looked around to see if she was simply hearing things, but then there was another knock. She got up from the couch and Tim paused the show. Jane went to the front door and saw that Patience was stood in front of her.</p><p>                “Hey girly, are you busy ?” she asked. “I just wanted to pop by and chat for a little bit.”</p><p>                “Uhm, not really,” Jane answered. “Tim and I were just watching our show.”</p><p>                She let Patience inside and peeked out to see if A. had accompanied her there to the house. He didn’t, which was a little off putting, but not unusual. What would be unusual is if she didn’t wear her engagement ring, and it was still proudly wrapped around her finger. She went and sat down on the loveseat that was next to the couch and Tim sat up to adjust his shirt and sweep the crumbs from the snacks he and Jane ate off his chest.</p><p>                “You better vacuum that up,” Jane mentioned.</p><p>                “I will,” Tim responded. “Since when do I <strong><em>not</em></strong> pick up my stuff ?”</p><p>                She sat back down on the couch next to him and looked to Patience.</p><p>                “So, what’s going on ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Oh, nothin’ much, weddin’ plannin’, talkin’ to the people about the venue, orderin’ koi fishes for the pond,” Patience listed. “But . . . uhm, there’s somethin’ I wanted to ask you, and uh, I know you might get a little upset.”</p><p>                Jane tilted her head and knitted her eyebrows in confusion. She twiddled her thumbs and awaited for what Patience was about to ask. Did she somehow know that she and Tim had money ? Did she want to reschedule the bachelorette party ? Was the wedding going to be moved to her due date ?</p><p>                “What is it ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “I wanted to ask if uhm . . . I could go back to your shop for another dress ?” Patience asked. “There’s somethin’ I wanted to do with the other dress, and I don’t want to use it in <strong><em>my</em></strong> weddin’. I tried it on again the other day, and it felt . . . <strong><em>expensive</em></strong>, but it didn’t feel like <strong><em>mine</em></strong>, you know ?”</p><p>                “What changed ?” Jane asked. “Why are you starting to not like it anymore ? If there’s something you don’t like, I could always send it back to the company and have it altered.”</p><p>                “No, no, that’s not it,” Patience clarified. “There’s just someone else I think it would look better on. I mean, she isn’t gettin’ married, but there’s somethin’ I wanted to do for her, since she’s done so much for me.”</p><p>                Patience tapped the end of her heel on the floor and chewed the inside of her cheek.</p><p>                “Okay, I can’t keep a secret !!” Patience exclaimed. “It’s you, I wanted to give it to you. My brother, Isaac, is a photographer, and I’m sure I could squeeze you in for maternity pictures. A. said you loved that dress more than anything else in that shop, and I know that you deserve to have a maternity shoot, and you need to look pretty for it.”</p><p>                “Patience !!” Jane exclaimed. “Do you even understand what you’re getting rid of ? That is a Marjorie Armstrong dress, it’s so expensive !! Most of her dresses go for about fifty – thousand dollars, and the fact that I got one for fifteen – thousand is such a stroke of luck !!”</p><p>                “But Jane, it’s your dress,” Patience encouraged. “I was cryin’ because of the price, but I’m sure if you just put it on, you would see that it’s yours.”</p><p>                “Okay, deal,” Jane sighed. “If you bring it by within the next week, I’ll try it on.”</p><p>                “Great !!” Patience exclaimed. “I have it in the car !!”</p><p>                She hopped up from the couch and made a break for the door. Her heels clicked against the wood as she made a dash and swung open the front door.</p><p>                “Wait, no !!” Jane shouted. “Patience, get back here !!”</p><p>                Tim grabbed Jane by her shoulder and sat her back down. He shook his head and rose an eyebrow at Jane.</p><p>                “Just humor her,” Tim whispered. “Besides, don’t you want to try it on ? You were really upset when you had to get rid of it. Now you can actually try it on. You didn’t get to do that in the shop, right ?”</p><p>                Jane simply sighed and put her hand atop Tim’s.</p><p>                “Yeah, but she bought it, and she spent all that money on it,” Jane whispered. “We might have a lot of money, but she and A. needed to focus on the wedding. I’d feel bad if she didn’t have enough money for a good wedding dress, because she gave her’s to me, and I don’t even need one.”</p><p>                The sound of Patience’s heels were heard and Jane turned to see her motion for Jane to follow her up to the master suite. Jane got up from the couch and looked at Tim.</p><p>                “Uh, it’s recorded, so if you want to keep watching it, you can,” she said. “I’ll catch up later.”</p><p>                “You sure ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, I’m sure,” she confirmed. “Go ahead, it was just getting to the good part. I’m sure that Diane and Patti’s cousin are going to get caught making out in that closet.”</p><p>                “It’s not much of a bet if we both see it coming,” Tim explained.</p><p>                He turned back to the T.V before he unpaused the show and it cut to commercial break, he groaned before he fast forwarded through the commercials and then groaned a little louder when it didn’t allow him to fast forward through a stupid NinjaChop blender infomercial.</p><p>                Jane followed Patience up the steps and into her bedroom, and shut the door behind them. She looked at how much room the dress took up most of her bed and she looked at it again in all of it’s glory. Jane couldn’t help to smile at the way the gemstones shined in the light and the amount of fabric that filled the skirt of the dress.</p><p>                “Alright, I want you to sit at your vanity,” Patience instructed.</p><p>                “I thought we were just putting on the dress ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Not without you getting’ all glitzed up,” Patience insisted. “As a pageant girl, I know how much better a dress looks when the girl in it gets all pretty too.”</p><p>                Jane sat back in the vanity and she scooted one of the small footstools towards the vanity, after Jane backed out the vanity’s chair and sat down in front of Patience.</p><p>                Patience shooed Grandpa off the footstool, and the brown tabby cat joined Smokey on the window seat as both cats settled to look out at the city lights that were a little ways away from the house. She took Jane’s makeup brushes and her makeup bag before she pulled out a primer that she applied to the makeup sponge.</p><p>                “You know that it ain’t good for your skin if you use a brush to put on foundation ?” Patience asked. “I told Sabrina about it and that girl applies her foundation like it’s some wall texture.”</p><p>                “I wonder how much acne she must have,” Jane pondered. “I mean, when I talked to her at the gender reveal, she didn’t seem to have any, but you could tell that she had a lot of foundation on.”</p><p>                “She has freckles like you,” Patience explained. “She don’t like ‘em very much. She says that they look ugly on her, but I don’t think they do. I think she looks pretty without makeup, hell, if she had freckles, she could still pull off that grey eyeshadow, and the black lipstick.”</p><p>                “I really like her piercings,” Jane claimed. “I mean, I wouldn’t get any besides my ears pierced, but she really pulls off a nose ring, and that lip piercing. B. really likes that kind of stuff on girls, even though he’ll probably deny it until the day he dies.”</p><p>                “I swear, that boy needs to drop his nuts and move his butt,” Patience said. “Sabrina is a pretty girl, and while he’s a twin, A.’s the handsome one, but I’m sure if he stopped dressin’ like a nerdy high schooler, he wouldn’t be too bad himself. He better step up soon, because there’s plenty of other guys out there that might want to date her.”</p><p>                “Hey now, B. and A. are identical twins, there’s no such thing as a ‘handsome’ twin and an ‘ugly’ twin when they both look the exact same,” Jane scolded. “But, yeah, I can agree with you. He needs to grow some hair on his chest and ask her out, or else he’s going to be the designated ‘nice guy’ friend. He can’t complain about ‘nice guys finish last’ if he never entered the damn race.”</p><p>                “Grow hair on his chest ?” Patience laughed. “Hair covers his body like a rabid beaver if he lets it go for so long. He comes out in swim trunks and looks like a damn bear got into a gift shop.”</p><p>                “Well, then he should put it to good use,” Jane responded. “What’s the point of looking like a man when you don’t act like one ?”</p><p>                “Close your eyes,” Patience instructed.</p><p>                Jane did as she was told as she felt the eyeshadow brush against her eyes.</p><p>                “But I feel ya’,” Patience muttered. “I found out that A. lied a majority of the beginnin’ of our relationship. He didn’t know how to horseback ride, and he doesn’t even like beets, even though he said he did. And on top of that, he watched me a week before he even talked to me.”</p><p>                “Well, my brothers aren’t the most romantic men in the world,” Jane responded. “Well, at least, the twins aren’t. They never really have been, or at least, they don’t really get how to be.”</p><p>                “Well, Tim’s as sweet as cherry pie,” Patience commented. “I don’t get why Queen didn’t realize how lucky of a lady she was. He may not be a looker, but he’s got a great personality.”</p><p>                “I don’t know what happened,” Jane sighed. “When we were kids, he was the least affectionate, most neurotic, whiniest douchebag I had ever met, but now . . . I really like being around him. He makes this place feel a little more like home.”</p><p>                “It’s nice havin’ someone to come home to,” Patience agreed. “I thought I had it made when I’d come home to see our sheepdog, my horses, my chickens, but when A. and I moved in together, I would come home or he would and there’s someone there that wants to hug on you and love on you, that you can talk to and they’ll talk right back. I’m sure havin’ Smokey to come back to all this time was nice and all but –“</p><p>                “Having Tim is different,” Jane finished. “It is really nice. Way nicer than Troy. Tim’s good to me, and if he’s even a fraction as good to Taffeta as he is to me, she –“</p><p>                “Would be the luckiest girl in the world ?”</p><p>                Jane nodded and smiled.</p><p>                “Yeah.”</p><p>                “He’s a good man, Jane,” Patience agreed. “He’s definitely a keeper.”</p><p>                Jane giggled at Patience’s comment.</p><p>                “He’s my brother,” Jane chuckled. “I don’t quite think I have a choice in keeping him or not.”</p><p>                “If I could get rid of Dorian, I would,” Patience commented. “He is gettin’ on my last damn nerve with some of his crap. He and his little fiancée always got their noses up in the air, and they act like their shit don’t stink. It does, it stinks like shit.”</p><p>                “People say that I’m stuck up all the time,” Jane commented. “I mean, I don’t try to be, but like I’m not the most friendly person towards strangers. If I don’t know you, how am I supposed to know if I can trust you ?”</p><p>                “I guess I just don’t get that,” Patience sighed. “I like to think that a stranger is simply a friend you don’t know yet, minus Fannie Martinelli of course. I wasn’t raised that way. New York is a lot different than podunk Georgia. It’s a place full of friendly faces.”</p><p>                “I hate to break it you, but New York City is quite the opposite,” Jane said. “This city is full of creeps, jerks, and over all awful people. It’s rare to find nice people around here. I went to Ham Bros. the other day for lunch and this asshole slammed the door in my face. Keep in mind, I’m a woman, a pregnant woman, nonetheless. New York City men don’t really know what chivalry is.”</p><p>                “Oh, now, A. is a little bit of a jerk at times, but I can and always will defend the fact that he’s a gentleman,” Patience reasoned. “He may be one of the only few, but my honey’s a good man too. He has his moments where he’s a little hot – headed, but he has never, ever raised his voice or hand at me. He even asked my daddy for my hand, and everythin’. I love that man, I really do.”</p><p>                “Good,” Jane confirmed. “He needs someone to love him, and I know that, even though he’s a bit self – centered, borderline narcissistic, at times, he adores you.”</p><p>                “Open,” Patience instructed.</p><p>                Jane opened her eyes and was met with a mascara wand to her eyelashes.</p><p>                “Does he know how long you’re going to be gone for ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Oh, darlin’, he knows me well enough to know that when I say an hour, I mean a few,” Patience giggled. “He has some macaroni and cheese with fried chicken in the refrigerator, and he knows how to work the T.V, he’ll be fine.”</p><p>                “Hopefully you don’t go back to a blown up ranch house,” Jane teased. “Maybe you should text your mom to go and supervise him. Then he can’t use the excuse of being unsupervised.”</p><p>                “If he blows up our damn house I will jerk him bald – headed !!” Patience exclaimed. “He ought to know better than that, but hey, if we do blow up our house, we could come and stay in Tim’s room, since he don’t use it anyway.”</p><p>                “How did you know that ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “I saw his robe in the bathroom and his pile of folded clothes on the bed,” she claimed. “And on top of that, we all knew it’d be a matter of time before y’all were that comfortable around eachother.”</p><p>                “It all started when we stayed in the Suncrest Inn across town,” Jane explained. “The receptionist messed up and we ended up sharing a king sized bed, and it was kind of nice to have someone to cuddle with and fall asleep next to while we watched T.V.”</p><p>                “I feel ya’,” Patience agreed. “It’s comfy to have a partner in bed, even if y’all ain’t doin’ the no – pants dance. Sometimes it’s just nice to cuddle and love on eachother. A. and I cuddle all the time, even when there’s nothin’ happenin’ between us.”</p><p>                “That’s what I love about Tim, he doesn’t demand anything from me,” Jane responded. “We’re comfortable where we’re at, and we like our arrangement. He does the house stuff and his job, and I come home and I get to rest. I want to help out more, but you know; making ten little fingers, ten tiny toes – making a little human is hard. He’s great to me, and does about a zillion times more things than Troy would ever.”</p><p>                “When I had a bad day, A. always warms me up a blanket in the drier, lets me take a hot shower for as long as I want, makes me some chicken nuggets and French fries, and gives me a foot rub with I relax on the couch,” Patience claimed. “It’s nice to have someone that does such sweet things for you every once in awhile. I get bouquets and chocolates every anniversary, birthday, and Valentine’s day, and sometimes out of nowhere. It just makes my day when I get little thangs like that.”</p><p>                “Tim does the dishes, gives me back massages, and cuddles with me, hell, I don’t think I’ve made dinner more than twice since moving in,” Jane listed. “But when he was with Queen, she expected that out of him.”</p><p>                “No woman should rely on a man to care for her, it irks the everlivin’ hell out of me when they do,” Patience complained. “Dorian’s new woman is like that, but at the same time, they’re both filthy stinkin’ rich and can afford a housekeeper. I’ve met the poor woman, she’s like almost seventy years old and they work her like she’s a young lady. I thought my parents raised my brother better than that, but he’s always been an ass, so what should I expect ?”</p><p>                Jane laughed a little at her comment about her brother. Her brother sounded like a total jerk, and his fiancée sounded even worse. Hopefully, Jane wouldn’t have to interact much with them at the wedding, because Tim would have to hold her back if she had to actually make conversations with people like that. She may be nine months pregnant at the time, but she won’t go down without swinging.</p><p>                “Alright, now the most important part,” Patience claimed. “The lipstick.”</p><p>                Patience picked a liquid lipstick that was a deep ichor red, before she twisted the wand out and began to apply it to Jane’s lips. That was quite possibly the quickest part of doing Jane’s makeup, because next she faced the vanity mirror and Patience stood behind her.</p><p>                “Why do you always have your hair up ?” Patience asked. “That baby’s doin’ great things for it. Look at how big and shiny your ponytail is. You even got waves in it now, and you didn’t before. The hormones made your hair look so healthy and vibrant.”</p><p>                Patience pulled the hairtie out of her hair and allowed Jane’s locks to lay freely, before she spread them apart and ruffled them up to add a bit of volume to her hair. Lastly, she took the choker and necklace that laid on the vanity table, and she clipped them both around Jane’s neck.</p><p>                “Don’t you look gorgeous ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                It had been awhile since Jane had worn her hair down. The last time she really did was before she and Troy broke up, and everyone was right. Her hair had changed a lot since she got pregnant. Her makeup was nice, it wasn’t like she hated makeup, she just rarely wore it. She felt like she looked fine without or with only a little bit – she still did, of course, but she liked how she looked with it on too.</p><p>                She felt . . . <strong><em>pretty</em></strong>.</p><p>                She hadn’t felt that in a long time.</p><p>                She reached forward to touch her reflection, as if to inspect the woman that looked back at her through the mirror. Jane couldn’t quite believe that was her, since she hadn’t gotten dressed up in a very long time. The last time she really remembered putting effort into her appearance just because she wanted to was her’s and Troy’s first anniversary. He didn’t quite care, as he had gotten a new bikini magazine with poor Celeste as the centerfold, but at least she did. She didn’t care much anymore, because there was nobody around she felt like she had to impress.</p><p>                “You like it ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “Oh, uhm . . . yeah,” Jane responded. “Thank you, Patience. You did a great job.”</p><p>                “You wanna put on the dress now ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                The dress. That’s right. She was supposed to try on the dress.</p><p>                “Hold your horses, let me get you some shoes,” Patience said.</p><p>                “Oh, my feet are getting a little too swollen for heels,” Jane claimed.</p><p>                “Well then, borrow mine,” Patience offered. “You’re like a size six, right ?”</p><p>                “Well, six and a half,” Jane answered. “I was a size six before I got pregnant.”</p><p>                “Great, I’m a size six and a half,” Patience agreed. “Here, take ‘em, but you have to give ‘em back. I can’t go home with no shoes on, or else A.’s gonna have some questions as to what the hell happened here.”</p><p>                Patience popped both kitten heels off her feet before she handed them to Jane. Patience unrolled the dress, and allowed Jane to step inside once she stripped to her underwear and had the shoes on. Patience slipped it up Jane’s body and began to tighten the lace of the bodice, and zipped it up once it conformed to Jane’s curves. She turned Jane to face her vanity mirror, and it was like something clicked.</p><p>                When it was on the mannequin at “The Little, White Dress”, Jane knew she loved it. She loved the gemstones, and she loved the big skirt. She loved the glamour that came with it on the mannequin, and imagined herself in it almost a million times, but now she was in it. Despite being four months pregnant, it still hugged onto her well, as if the dress was truly tailored to her changing body. The makeup and her hair only brought out these feelings more as she went to touch it. It was as if her mind didn’t connect the image of her reflection to her own body, but everything she wanted to be was in that mirror. She didn’t feel like a bride, even though it was a wedding dress. She felt like a momma, and she felt . . . <strong><em>beautiful</em></strong>.</p><p>                “Patience, I . . .” she started. “You didn’t have to do this.”</p><p>                “Now, Jane, I’m gonna asl you what you asked me when I was pickin’ dresses,” Patience started. “Does it feel like your dress ?”</p><p>                Jane felt the tears in her eyes, and then hey slid down her face. Luckily, this time it was waterproof mascara. Patience must’ve thought ahead. She couldn’t help but to nod in response.</p><p>                “But it’s so expensive, you shelled out a lot of money on it,” Jane reasoned. “I can’t just take this away from you, your family spent so much on it.”</p><p>                “I already talked to them about a new dress,” Patience soothed. “We had to cut out the live band, but we’re still able to get a D.J for the weddin’. Don’t you worry about a thing, sugar. Does it feel like your dress ?”</p><p>                She nodded, but then an idea came to her mind, and she knew it was the right thing to do, and she wasn’t going to sit there and let Tim argue with her about it. It’s only fair.</p><p>                “Tell your family that Tim and I will pay for your dress,” Jane said. “We’re making enough, so don’t worry about a budget, but we’re buying you a new dress.”</p><p>                “Oh, Jane, please, I’m doin’ this out of the kindness of my heart –“</p><p>                “And so am I, so please, please don’t argue with me.”</p><p>                Patience nodded and grabbed Jane by her shoulders.</p><p>                “Okay, I won’t,” she sighed. “But you gotta show Tim.”</p><p>                “What ? No,” Jane responded. “He won’t care. He’ll probably just shrug it off and say it looks okay, I know Troy would’ve –“</p><p>                “<strong><em>Tim’s not Troy</em></strong>, <strong><em>Jane</em></strong>,” Patience reminded. “Tim cares about you, and if anything, do it for you. At least you can have another outside opinion besides my own, and maybe he can give you a second opinion about what to think. It’s always nice to have more than one other opinion; why do you think I brought my momma, grandmomma, Sabrina, and Ruth to pick my dress ?”</p><p>                Jane took Patience’s hands off her shoulders and looked to the side.</p><p>                “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when he doesn’t give much of a reaction,” Jane noted. “Can you help me carry this thing down ?”</p><p>                “I’d be happier than a possum eatin’ sweet ‘taters !!” Patience squealed.</p><p>                Patience picked up the back before she adjusted it for Jane to walk out of the room, and she followed behind Jane until they reached the stairs.</p><p>                “You want me to introduce you like you’re some sort of princess ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “Oh no, she didn’t !!” Tim shouted at the T.V downstairs.</p><p>                Both girls giggled at his reaction to the program he fixated on while they were gone.</p><p>                “Just get his attention,” Jane said. “He doesn’t like being pulled away from his trash T.V for too long. He has to have some sort of juicy gossip going on in his life.”</p><p>                Patience snorted and nodded before she went downstairs and cleared her throat.</p><p>                “Tim, we want you to look at somethin’,” she said. “Can you pause ‘Little Women of Idaho’, just for a few minutes ?”</p><p>                The T.V sound that came from the T.V stopped and Jane took that as her cue to walk down the stairs. She had a death grip on the wooden railing. Maybe it was the dress, because Jane never had this much trouble getting down the stairs. She felt heat rise to her face. Was this a dumb idea ? What would he even say ? She didn’t quite expect a reaction, but she did indeed fear a negative one. It’s all she really got when she tried, as she would hear girls call her a ‘try – hard’ and guys call her even worse. Troy never cared, and made her feel like garbage for trying.</p><p>                She held her head down, to focus on the steps, not yet ready to face a bad reaction from Tim. She made it to the bottom and heard nothing but silence. Jane had a feeling all he did was nod and give a thumbs up, but she didn’t hear the T.V turn back on either.</p><p>                Jane looked up to see him simply stare at her, with his mouth slightly agape. She chewed the inside of her cheek and rubbed her arm.</p><p>                “Uh, hello ? Earth to Tim ?” Patience called.</p><p>                “Looks dumb, right ?” she asked.</p><p>                He shook his head and attempted to say something as he continued to scan her in the giant ballgown. He stood up and began to walk around the couch. He finally stood in front of her and grabbed up her arms as he squeezed them. His eyebrows raised as he stared, completely flabbergasted at the sight of her.</p><p>                “Tim, you’re acting weird,” Jane said. “If it’s stupid, just say so.”</p><p>                “It’s not stupid !!” he finally defended. “You look amazing !! Like, I can’t believe you’re the same person. How long has it been since you did something like this ?”</p><p>                “Uhm . . . awhile,” Jane answered. “But . . . you like it ?”</p><p>                “I love it !!” he laughed. “You look spectacular, amazing, stunning !!”</p><p>                She laughed and shoved his chest.</p><p>                “Okay, now you’re milking it,” she teased. “It can’t be that amazing.”</p><p>                “Oh, my dearest Jane Florence Elizabeth Willoughby, but it is,” Tim responded. “I always think you look beautiful, but for cosmos sake, you look like a damn imperial queen. You look like you portrait would be hung among the great Willoughbys.”</p><p>                “Well, Timothy Anthony Malachy Willoughby,” she started. “In that case, you are the sweetest, most generous man I’ve ever come across, one of the gentlest hearts in all the land, and I hereby decree you as one of the greatest Willoughbys to ever live.”</p><p>                “So, what do you think, Jane ?” Patience asked. “Are you keepin’ it ?”</p><p>                “Yeah,” she said. “I think so.”</p><p>                Patience felt her phone buzz and she pulled it from her dress pocket and talked for a moment to someone that sounded a lot like A.. It was a quick conversation, and most of it was taken up by “No, you hang up.” between the two of them, before Patience was the one to hang up.</p><p>                “That was A.,” she confirmed. “He’s wonderin’ if I’m comin’ home in time to watch ‘Macaron Madness’. They’re doin’ macarons themed like Thanksgivin’ since it’s in about a week. So I better get goin’.”</p><p>                Patience leaned in and gave Tim a hug, and respected Jane’s boundaries by mimicking an air hug as she went out the window after she got her shoes back. Tim and Jane waved her goodbye and watched as she pulled out of their driveway.</p><p>                “So, Thanksgiving ?” Tim asked. “How are we going to do that ?”</p><p>                “If you’re going to Nanny and Melanoff’s, I’m not going to stop you,” she answered. “But I’m still not ready to go back over there yet.”</p><p>                He nodded and didn’t pry into the issue this time.</p><p>                “I’m sure I could do without having a turkey covered in pumpkin spice and candy corn,” Tim agreed. “And, secondly, what are we going to do for Patience since she gave you that expensive dress ?”</p><p>                “Buy her a new one, obviously,” Jane responded. “Before you say anything, it’s only fair. She’s already spending enough money on her wedding and she shouldn’t have to be in debt by the end of it all.”</p><p>                Tim was about to argue, but he simply sighed and nodded.</p><p>                “You’re right,” he agreed. “That’s fair.”</p><p>                Jane nodded and pinched his cheek.</p><p>                “I know it is,” she confirmed. “Anyways, ‘Little Women of Idaho’ ?”</p><p>                “Yeah,” he answered. “It’s about those housewives with dwarfism, and they all live in Ketchum, Idaho. It’s a lot like ‘Keepin’ It Real’.”</p><p>                “In a good way ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Why don’t you watch it with me ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Can you help me get out of this and hang it in the closet ?” she asked.</p><p>                He shrugged and nodded.</p><p>                “That’s fair.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Magnum Opus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕪 - 𝔽𝕠𝕦𝕣 :</p><p>𝕄𝕒𝕘𝕟𝕦𝕞 𝕆𝕡𝕦𝕤</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                “Tim, are you almost done in there ?” Jane asked. “I’m wearing nearly twice as much stuff as you and I’ve been ready for the past hour.”</p><p>                They were at Patience’s brother’s photo studio, for Jane’s maternity pictures. Her brother had set up the first set for the photos, it wasn’t going to be anything like the cutsey ones that plastered Pin – It. They were going to be regal and luxurious, but that was simply the way Jane Willoughby rolled, and Tim Willoughby rolled along with her.</p><p>                “Engarde !!” A. shouted.</p><p>                The clinks of metal swords was heard behind her and she turned to see both twins, as they used their props to swordfight like children.</p><p>                “A., you better not take your brother’s eye out !!” Patience scolded. “I’ll take that damn sword away from you.”</p><p>                “And please don’t get blood all over my floor,” her brother, Isaac begged. “I just got the floor all waxed and pretty yesterday, it’s expensive to get a good wax done !!”</p><p>                Tim opened the door to the changing room and adjusted Jane’s halo crown headpiece on her head in order to get it centered on her head, and she did the same thing to him. She ran her fingers through his hair and was taken back by how soft it was.</p><p>                “I used some of that hair serum in your bag,” he claimed. “Now I see why you spend so long in the bathroom in the mornings. I just stood there touching my hair for about ten minutes.”</p><p>                “That serum is expensive !!” Jane exclaimed. “And it’s not yours !!”</p><p>                Tim flipped his hair and ran his hand through it again, before he gave Jane a wink and a smirk.</p><p>                “But it’s soft,” he reminded. “You have to give me credit where credit’s due.”</p><p>                “You stole my hair serum,” Jane stated. “That’s the only thing you deserve credit for, mister.”</p><p>                “Are y’all two ready ?” Isaac asked. “My camera’s all set up, and our first settin’ is ready. I was thinkin’ that we get a few with just Tim and Jane, and then we get some with the twins ?”</p><p>                “Can we get some with just us in these armor piece ?” A. asked. “I would hang it in the house, in every room, even the bathroom.”</p><p>                Patience laughed and shook her head at the idea of people going into their bathroom to be greeted with a picture of both A. and B. in fancy suits of armor while they did their business.</p><p>                “My grandmomma would never use our bathrooms again,” she laughed. “That woman needs full privacy.”</p><p>                “Remember when she flipped the picture frames of those frog pictures she had in the guest bathroom, because she didn’t want the frogs starin’ at her ?” Isaac reminded his sister.</p><p>                “And she had to turn the toilet paper holder around because she didn’t like that he was lookin’ at her,” Patience added. “She must have an iron bladder, because if we were campin’ or fishin’, she still wouldn’t use the toilet. Even if there was a port – a – potty.”</p><p>                “To be fair, port – a – potties are nasty,” B. responded. “That’s all they had when I went to Oktoberfest in Berlin, it stunk so damn bad and – hey !!”</p><p>                He was met with a poke to his side by A.’s sword. The twins continued to swordfight, and they moved their little duel away from the photo equipment at Isaac and Patience’s request. Both of them laughed and yelped as they still continued to spar and metal continued to clank and clash.</p><p>                Jane and Tim walked over to the black sheet that Isaac had set up for the first set of pictures, and Tim lifted Jane’s dress, before he adjusted it to its full capacity as it belonged for the photo shoot.</p><p>                “Alright, so I think, we should start with one of Tim kneelin’ and puttin’ his hands on her belly,” Isaac instructed. “Are y’all comfortable with that ?”</p><p>                “Of course they are,” Patience claimed. “They aren’t like us. They actually like to hug and love on eachother.”</p><p>                “I would hug you if you didn’t try to knock my lights outta me,” Isaac pointed out. “I love you, but I kinda like being conscious too.”</p><p>                Tim got down on one knee and took Jane’s hand, before he looked back up to her. He clicked his tongue and whistled as he raised an eyebrow,</p><p>                “Marry me ?” he joked.</p><p>                Jane laughed and shook her head, before she shoved his forehead back.</p><p>                “Shut up,” she laughed. “We have to get these pictures done eventually, and you taking my hair serum already put us back about fifteen minutes.”</p><p>                He smiled and put his hands on her stomach. Tim leaned forward and nuzzled his forehead against her belly, which was something he did often now. It seemed like every time they’d lay together, Tim’s hands were on her stomach, his head laid on her bump as he pressed his ear against her stomach in hopes that he would be able to hear something or that he would feel a little hand or foot against his face, he would chat about everything and nothing for hours to her. Every time he was this close to their baby, he could help but to be filled with love. Imagine what it was going to be like when she was actually here; Tim probably wouldn’t even put her down.</p><p>                Jane rested her hands atop her stomach, and she looked down at Tim, as he had his forehead pressed against her stomach. It was soothing to have someone to touch her stomach, well, at least she was someone she was comfortable with. She felt better with the knowledge that someone actually wanted to be with her, when she was tired due to being pregnant, when she was emotional from the sight of a cute, squishy baby in a baby carrier out in public, when all she wanted to do was sit back and watch trash T.V. She wanted to reach down and ruffle his hair, but she allowed him to have his moment.</p><p>                There was a flash of light that came from the photo lamps and camera that took both siblings off guard. They looked at both Isaac and Patience as they stood with big smiles on their faces.</p><p>                “I’m sorry, but it’s always nice when a great pose comes naturally,” Isaac explained. “It’s raw, and the emotions are natural. You can always tell when people are fakin’ it in pictures. What’s the point of havin’ pictures, when y’all are fakin’ it anyway ?”</p><p>                “Do y’all wanna take any more in this position ?” Patience asked. “Well, Isaac, do you need anymore pictures of them in that position ?”</p><p>                Isaac checked his camera, before he pouted his lower lip and shook his head.</p><p>                “We can move onto another one,” Isaac agreed. “Do y’all want to do the obligatory ‘dad – standin’ – behind – mom’ with the heart hands on the belly ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, let’s get the cliché one out of the way,” Jane responded. “I want to get to the throne ones as quick as possible. Those ones are going to be the staple of this photoshoot.”</p><p>                The curtains that lead to the photography room flipped open, and B. came through them, with the metal sword in the holster as he panted and came into the room. He stood on the other side of Isaac and wiped his forehead from the sweat that accumulated.</p><p>                Tim pushed the dress in as far as it could reasonably go and still look good, before he put his arms around Jane and she helped him guide his hands into a heart.</p><p>                She looked over her shoulder and scrunched her nose at him, as her hands rested atop his in a heart shape as well. Jane smiled and giggled at he leaned his head down slightly and booped his nose against her own.</p><p>                Another flash of the camera and the photography lighting, as Isaac checked his camera. He furrowed his eyebrows and jumped back slightly.</p><p>                “Did y’all take a lot of pictures back at home ?” Isaac asked. “It seems like y’all two are naturals at this.”</p><p>                “I like to think of it as a genetic thing,” Tim boasted. “Almost every generation of our family had a picture or painting in the house, before it was demolished anyway. The walls were filled with things from our family’s history. A lot went down along with the house.”</p><p>                “Are you sure that the museum didn’t take some of it ?” Isaac asked. “When I was in school, we had a small unit on y’all’s great uncle. He was a great man, and has seen more of the world than we could ever imagine.”</p><p>                “Oh, that’s not a bad idea,” Patience claimed. “You could always go to the museum and ask !! Speakin’ of the museum, they have an openin’ for one of those fancy art curators, B.. Maybe you can go and apply there, and then you won’t be stuck with a crappy job, when you could have so much more !!”</p><p>                “Really, you think so ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “B., come back here, and receive the dividends of my metal spankings !!”</p><p>                Patience rubbed the bridge of her nose and shook her head.</p><p>                “I’m glad we’re alone in here, or your clients would have some questions,” Patience commented. “I’m sorry about him, Isaac.”</p><p>                “Don’t worry, sis,” Isaac reassured. “It ain’t the weirdest thing that’s ever happened in here. We had a family come in awhile back and they just had ice cream. The mom had to figure out if her baby dribbled ice cream on her or if the giant glob on her shoulder was bird shit.”</p><p>                “Please don’t say it was bird shit,” B. whined.</p><p>                Isaac rose an eyebrow at B. before he set up the camera again.</p><p>                “Oh my god, that’s the nastiest thing I ever did hear !!” Patience cried.</p><p>                “Actually, where’s your brother, B. ?” Isaac asked. “We could do the last one for this backdrop before we drag the throne over –“</p><p>                The curtains flew open and A. burst through them, with his sword wound up to swing as he let off another battle cry upon direct eye contact with B.. Patience reached for the sword and snatched it from his hand before she pointed it at his nose. She knitted her eyebrows to get across her sternness, as she had her free hand on her hip.</p><p>                “Don’t start swingin’ this thing in my brother’s studio,” she scolded. “Act like you got some sense.”</p><p>                He looked in between his nose at the sword he was met with and simply nodded, before a dumb grin came upon his face and she gave him the sword back.</p><p>                “So for my next idea,” Isaac started. “I was thinkin’ that the twins kneel on the sides of Jane and Tim, and y’all have your swords in the ground, as if y’all are bound to protect them forever.”</p><p>                “You got it,” Both twins chorused.</p><p>                To Tim’s left was A. and to Jane’s right was B., and both twins got on one knee, before they straightened their postures as if in sync.</p><p>                “Do you want us to stay in the same position ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Actually, let’s have y’all face eachother,” Isaac recommended. “Do y’all want it to be more lovey – dovey, or more stoic and regal ?”</p><p>                “Hm . . .” Jane contemplated. “Let’s try both a more regal one and a more sappy one.”</p><p>                “We could get them both, and hang them on both sides of the T.V,” Tim suggested. “We could always move the pictures we have on both sides of the T.V up into the hallways.”</p><p>                “Alright, so this is where I start to not like photos, because of all the actin’,” Isaac reasoned. “But, so, my advice as a photographer, is think about gettin’ your picture painted and hung up for the rest of the world, for generations after generations, to see. When we think history, we don’t think about fun or games. It’s about famine, war, poverty, death –“</p><p>                “The plague ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Yeah !!” Isaac exclaimed. “Think of the plague, how miserable everyone had to have been, put that misery into this, but like, try to hide it at the same time !!”</p><p>                “That don’t make any sense,” Patience started.</p><p>                “I don’t see you holdin’ the camera, Patience,” Isaac responded. “They who hold the camera, hold the power, or some junk like that.”</p><p>                She crossed her arms and slumped her posture in a pout as she stuck out her bottom lip.</p><p>                “I have known you all your life,” Isaac noted. “That poutin’ thing don’t work on me.”</p><p>                Jane raised her eyebrows. Pouting didn’t work for all siblings ? She could bat her eyelashes at Tim and he would do nearly whatever she said !! Maybe Tim was a better brother than she gave him credit for.</p><p>                “Alright, so think sad thoughts,” Isaac suggested. “One, two, three . . .”</p><p>                Jane had to think back . . . sad thoughts. Well, she’d been so happy for awhile, she couldn’t quite remember any sad thoughts, but that’s when it bit her. The day she stopped talking to Nanny and Melanoff. They had been so kind to her, and got her her first bit of starter property, where her shop currently stood in New York. Troy had harassed her time and time again about how they needed to get married soon ( even though he never bothered to propose ) and that a woman’s place was in the house. Who was going to pay the bills if Jane were at home ? He didn’t even have a job !! She confided in Nanny and Melanoff about it, and of course, they told her the one thing she never wanted to hear. She needed to break up with him – Troy was in a dark hole, and he was only going to drag Jane down with him, and they cared far too much about her to let her go down that path. Jane, however, loved Troy, and wanted it all to work out, because she loved Troy. She screamed at them and told them that they had no idea what they were talking about. Jane yelled everything she could, and even went as far as to call them both a ‘dumb bitch that can’t see the real world’ and a ‘divorced jackass that surprisingly kept a second wife for more than a few months’. She left the family that willingly took her in and –</p><p>                “That was amazing !!”</p><p>                She snapped back out of her thoughts and looked around at the photo studio. With the amount of focus and attention that she had put into thinking about a sad thought, she couldn’t quite remember that she wasn’t there. It was like she relived that moment for a second and she reached forward and gripped Tim’s bicep, and he did the exact same thing to her. Jane blinked at him and he did the same right back to her. It was like they both knew that they dug up thoughts neither of them wanted to think of.</p><p>                “Do . . . y’all need a break ?” Isaac asked. “I can see you’re a bit overwhelmed.”</p><p>                “I told you that didn’t make no sense !!” Patience scolded. “Look at what you did !!”</p><p>                “I’m sorry !! I just wanted to get some good pictures !!” Isaac exclaimed. “If it’s any consolidation, I got a great picture !!”</p><p>                “I think we all need some happy thoughts right now,” A. suggested. “I ate at Big Top’s today, that’s always good. Anyone else have some good thoughts happen today ?”</p><p>                “I finally got a text back from Sabrina !!” B. exclaimed. “We’re doing Tasty Tortellini’s Saturday, and I even went and got the suit I wore to graduation dry cleaned.”</p><p>                “It still fits ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “I know, I said the same thing,” B. answered. “It’s a little tight, but A. offered to take me to his early morning Sunday crossfit classes.”</p><p>                “And then right after that, I have dance lessons, then I go with Patience to craft stores for the wedding,” A. listed. “My Sunday mornings are usually packed full of stuff. I’m just glad I get to unwind in the night and afternoon, while Patience goes to take care of the animals.”</p><p>                “Oh, you could never lay a finger on any of her animals,” Isaac claimed. “After what happened when we were kids, she never, ever wanted to let what happened to her pig, happen to any animal again.”</p><p>                “What happened to the pig ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                Patience mimed a gun to her head and make a fake shooting sound.</p><p>                “And then we had porkchops,” she finished. “And it was all because Dorian lied to daddy and said that poor ol’ Edith was sick, even though she wasn’t.”</p><p>                “Dorian is a giant jerk, now ain’t he,” Isaac asked.</p><p>                “He all tried to force his way into our wedding party,” A. complained. “We told his ass ‘no’, because he wanted to include his new fiancée that I’ve never even met before.”</p><p>                “I have, and I hate her guts,” Patience added. “I’m actually kinda upset that I have to invite her to the weddin’, but my momma and daddy would have a freakin’ cow if I didn’t.”</p><p>                “Well, luckily, B. and I are already planning the bachelor and bachelorette parties,” Jane encouraged. “A complete trip to Vegas, with no Dorian and no grouchy fiancée to ruin the trip !!”</p><p>                “Wait, when’s this trip gonna be ?” Isaac asked.</p><p>                “Like the week before the wedding ?” B. answered. “Why ? Do you have something planned ?”</p><p>                “Well, my husband, Andrew and I are gonna go an visit his grandma down in the other Vegas,” Isaac explained. “She’s very sick, and we want to try and see her before she kicks the bucket. They think she might pass in about six months, but I know that it means a lot to my hubbs if we go and visit her.”</p><p>                “Aw, so you won’t be able to make it ?” Jane pouted.</p><p>                “And there’s two Las Vegases ?” A. questioned.</p><p>                “I don’t think so, I’m sorry y’all, have a few drinks for me,” Isaac responded. “And, <strong><em>yes</em></strong>, <strong><em>A</em></strong>.. There’s one Vegas in Nevada, and one in New Mexico.”</p><p>                “What the hell is in Las Vegas, New Mexico ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Even with a gun to my head, I couldn’t tell you,” Isaac answered. “But Andrew’s family is from Albuquerque, and there’s lotsa things to do there. Anyways, do y’all want to do the lovey – dovey one ?”</p><p>                All Willoughby siblings nodded in unison as they looked towards eachother.</p><p>                “Photographer tip, think of things that make y’all happy,” Isaac recommended. “Happy thoughts, like puppies, kittens, rainbows, lollipops – you get the gist of it.”</p><p>                Jane immediately knew what to think about because the people that made her the happiest were in the room with her, and it seemed Tim had the same idea, as she felt his hand cup her cheek and his thumb graze across her skin. They looked at eachother, as one of his hands was on her stomach, and the other was on her face. She reached up and did the same, with one hand on his face and the other on his bicep.</p><p>                Both siblings wrinkled their noses and smiled at eachother, and Jane even reached up to boop their noses together.</p><p>                The lights flashed and Isaac nodded at the picture he had taken.</p><p>                “I think it’s time to bring the throne over,” Isaac said. “Twins, can y’all bring it over for us ? It’s quite heavy, and I’m not makin’ the ladies or myself do it.”</p><p>                Both twins got up and slid their metal prop swords into their holsters before they got up and went to get the heavy throne from the corner of the room.</p><p>                Tim lifted Jane’s skirt and allowed her to move out of the way of where they set the throne at, before she went and sat down in it. Jane let off a sigh of relief at the feeling of sitting. Her feet got very tired, as she was in a pair of kitten heels under the dress and the straps started to cut into her ankles.</p><p>                Both twins adjusted Jane’s dress over her feet and puffed it out as she adjusted to sit on her side in the throne, with her legs bent to her right.</p><p>                “Let’s get one of just Jane and Tim, and then we’ll bring the twins back in,” Isaac instructed. “Do y’all wanna do another stoic one or was that too much for you two ?”</p><p>                “Can we just do a formal one, where it’s not like stoic but . . .” Tim asked. “It’s not super emotional ? Like how people normally pose for pictures ?”</p><p>                “If that’s what you feel comfortable with,” Isaac agreed. “We can totally do that.”</p><p>                Tim stood to the side of the throne, with one hand on the back and the other on Jane’s shoulder.</p><p>                “Ready?” Isaac asked. “One, two, three . . . smile.”</p><p>                Both siblings put on a smile and the camera flashed as well as the lamps a few times, unlike the rest where they got a good take in one shot.</p><p>                Isaac looked into his camera and skimmed through his pictures, while Patience and the twins looked over his shoulder at the few that he took. Isaac chewed at his bottom lip as they looked through the pictures, before he sighed.</p><p>                “The thing I don’t like, and now this is just my personal opinion,” Isaac started. “When people take formal pictures, you don’t really see the story or how hey feel. It always feels like you’re lookin’ at a picture perfect stock photo of a family, like the family in the picture isn’t even real.”</p><p>                “Well, uhm, would you rather us . . . do another stoic one ?” Jane asked. “It’s just, we’ve been through a lot, and sometimes we don’t want to think about the sad stuff, because the sad stuff is . . .”</p><p>                “Really sad,” Tim finished. “There’s a lot in my life that I’d rather not think about, even when I’m alone.”</p><p>                “Well, it sounds like y’all got somethin’ to get off your chest.” Patience pointed out. “I think we should talk about it. Maybe it might make y’all feel better, to air out the dirty laundry. Every single one of you has been through somethin’, and I’m sure there’s somethin’ you’ve done that you want to explain, or say out loud.”</p><p>                “Maybe, it’ll be therapeutic for y’all siblings to get things off your chest,” Patience explained. “It’s always nice to have someone else around that knows your story, and knows what you’ve been though. It’s like when y’all had to go through the system. Ain’t nobody knows what it’s like except for y’all.”</p><p>                “It’s what siblings are for,” Isaac claimed. “Hell, Patience knows some things about me that my parents don’t even know. She knew I was gay long before my parents did, and she was there when I told them.”</p><p>                “And then, when our daddy got mad, cause he ‘failed his son’ or whatever the hell he said,” Patience continued. “We went and we got ice cream, and I was there to meet his secret first boyfriend. His name was Matthew Douglas, and he worked the front counter at Kustard Kones.”</p><p>                “And hoo boy, Patience,” Isaac started. “She would be sneakin’ out of the house to go and meet up with A., and drive that loud ass motorcycle, she would lie and tell our parents that she was comin’ to help me out in the barn with the animals, and I’d lie to cover her tail so she could sneak out with that guy over there.”</p><p>                “See ?” Patience claimed. “Your siblings might be the best people in your life that you could ever know, but you have to open up and let them know your story too, because when you know something as deep and vulnerable as eachother’s secrets. It brings y’all closer together.”</p><p>                “I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet,” Jane claimed. “There’s still stuff that even I have trouble coming to terms with, even when I’m by myself.”</p><p>                “Well, fine then, I’ll go first,” A. started.</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Sonder</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕪 - 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖 :</p><p>𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p> </p><p>                He went and he sat in one of the chairs and put one leg over the other before he leaned forward onto his leg. He took one deep breath in and one deep breath out. He didn’t look at anybody else in the room. It was unnerving to see A. this quiet, or even this serious.</p><p>                “It was our sophomore year of high school, and that’s when B. took that big trip up to Houston with the robotics team,” A. started. “Normally, I was good at controlling my . . . I was okay at controlling myself, because I barely ever got mad before. I guess I was just a dumb kid growing up, but it was the first time that . . . something happened, inside of me.”</p><p>                He looked up and around the room. He locked eye contact with Patience for a moment, before he attempted to laugh and he looked back down to his hands.</p><p>                “I . . . didn’t control myself that night,” he said. “Jane was at her friend’s house, and Tim was with Queen because they had a test the next day, so it was just me, Nanny, Melanoff, and Ruth. I remember, I was just so mad at B., and I . . . I broke a hole in the wall. I punched right from our room into Ruth’s and scared the shit out of her, but – damn it. I couldn’t stop. Nanny came in and tried to calm me down and . . .”</p><p>                He still kept his head down, but everyone could tell he started to cry, because of the noises he made.</p><p>                Patience gasped and ran to his side, before he sat in the chair next to him and pulled him in close to her, as she let him cry into her.</p><p>                “I hit her.”</p><p>                Every person in the room jumped at that statement, because A., <strong><em>their</em></strong> A., wasn’t <strong><em>capable</em></strong> of that. He never, ever hurt Patience and he was always harmless, albeit a little annoying. He never hit anyone, outside of when he had to, but when he absolutely had to, he really did tear into people. He was known for getting thrown out of bars for fights, but everyone simply blamed it on the booze and went about their day.</p><p>                “I didn’t mean to, I mean it, I really didn’t !!” A. cried. “I just couldn’t help myself and she got in the way, and then I got worse and worse, I nearly got kicked off the baseball team and I almost got the police called on me because I was hurting people, and then eventually –“</p><p>                He stopped as Patience squeezed him tight, and tangled her fingers in his hair. She had tears fall down her face as she sniffled to. This was her man, her everything. He never ever did anything to hurt her. She knew her fiancé, <strong><em>A. wouldn’t hurt a woman</em></strong>, especially his own mom.</p><p>                “I had to go to a psychiatrist, and I got diagnosed with Intermittent Explosive disorder,” he sighed. “I’ve been on anti – depressants and mood stabilizers ever since, I’ve constantly hid it from everyone, because I just . . . <strong><em>I didn’t want you guys to hate me</em></strong>. When I’m in that state of mind, I’m not <strong><em>thinking</em></strong>. I’m in this . . . <strong><em>rage</em></strong>.”</p><p>                He sat up and he squeezed Patience’s arms, before he sniffled and attempted to wipe his eyes with the metal shoulder of the armor pieces he wore. He shook his head at his fiancée, while she dried his tears and gave him a kiss that he returned.</p><p>                “I don’t want to hurt you guys, I don’t want to hurt anybody,” A. claimed. “I do my best to manage it, and I can be happy. I am happy, but sometimes, it just gets really bad, and I feel like a ticking time bomb.”</p><p>                Patience brought him back into another hug and squeezed him as tight as she could, before four other pairs of arms came around him, all matched Tim, Jane, B., and even Isaac.</p><p>                “You listen here, mister, you are <strong><em>not</em></strong> what a psychiatrist sheet says you are,” Patience stated. “You are <strong><em>kind</em></strong>, and <strong><em>funny</em></strong>, and you are one of the most <strong><em>amazing</em></strong> men I have ever met. In a few months, I am about to say that I’m goin’ to take you for better or for worse, and I <strong><em>damn</em></strong> <strong><em>well</em></strong> <strong><em>mean</em></strong> <strong><em>that</em></strong> with every fiber of my body. <strong><em>I love you</em></strong>, <strong><em>Barnaby Alan Willoughby</em></strong>, and <strong><em>nothin’</em></strong>, <strong><em>not even this</em></strong>, will <strong><em>ever</em></strong> change that.”</p><p>                “You are a <strong><em>part</em></strong> of me, A.,” B. whispered. “Whatever pain you feel, and whatever feelings you feel, I want to be a <strong><em>part</em></strong> of them, because I can’t <strong><em>imagine</em></strong> my <strong><em>best</em></strong> <strong><em>friend</em></strong> going through that kind of stuff alone. You’re not alone, and even when you feel so angry that you want to <strong><em>murder</em></strong> someone, we’re <strong><em>here</em></strong> for you. We want you to be okay because . . . we <strong><em>love</em></strong> you.”</p><p>                “You’re never too much to handle for the wrong person,” Tim sighed. “You mean the world to us, and with or without this, you’re still our family. If you guys still want to be around me, even after all the shit I did to you guys, you are guaranteed that we’re still going to want you around.”</p><p>                “You are needed and you matter,” Jane reassured. “There is nobody in the world out there that is as zany and bird – brained as you are, and I mean that in the nicest of ways. There is nobody out there that can make me laugh like you do, and you are a great brother. You’ve always encouraged us to get off our ass and do something with ourselves, you’re stronger than you’ll ever know, A..”</p><p>                His arms came out and he squeezed everyone into the group hug they were all tin.</p><p>                “Thank you,” A. whispered. “I guess this is nice . . . to let other people in on something I’ve done, and something I’ve kept to myself for too long.”</p><p>                He sat up and took his inhaler from Patience’s hands, as she took it out of her purse for him. A. took a few puffs from it, in order to keep him from having an asthma attack, which was quite possibly the last thing everyone needed at the moment.</p><p>                “Does anyone else feel like sharin’ ?” Isaac asked.</p><p>                “I guess, I can go next,” B. claimed.</p><p>                They wiggled out from the group hug, and everyone got comfortable. Patience stood to let Jane sit down in the chair, and Tim and B. settled on the ground while Patience and her brother stood beside everyone.</p><p>                “So, that trip to Houston wasn’t as great as you think it was,” B. started. “Well, at the time it all seemed great, since I was with the robotics team, and that was the furthest I had been out of state at that point.”</p><p>                He leaned back on his hands as he crossed his legs, it was like he had to ponder and reach far back in his head to get what he wanted to say, as if he had blocked the entire story from his memory.</p><p>                “When I was there I met this woman, and she was a college professor, and she was really hot,” B. explained. “For awhile, I shied away from her, because, you know, I was a sophomore, and she was a whole adult, so I didn’t see the point in talking to her at the convention.”</p><p>                He leaned back, even further, and now laid on his elbows before he put his legs out.</p><p>                “But then, she came up to the booth and she started talking to me, this nerdy looking kid that wore a beret and an infinity scarf – I looked like a little hipster jerk,” he laughed. “But she was talking to me, of all people. We talked about everything, from travel destinations, to colleges, to modern culture.”</p><p>                He then paused and his look of nostalgia faded from his face and was replaced with one that could only be described as ‘trauma’. B. started to shake for a moment, before Tim leaned over and grabbed his hands.</p><p>                “I’m sorry,” he said. “I –“</p><p>                “Take your time,” Tim encouraged. “There’s no rush.”</p><p>                Tim allowed B. to lean on him, as he pat his younger brother’s back, and A. joined them on the floor.</p><p>                “I mean, when you’re young and you like someone, it all seemed normal. She was buying me things, and she was talking to me every day, but then . . . it got worse,” B. claimed. “When she wanted me to be on the phone, I was on the phone. When she wanted me to text her back, I did. When she wanted me available . . . I was.”</p><p>                Jane scooted to the chair A. sat in before he moved to the floor. It hit so close to home for her. Troy was demanding like that, but she dealt with it since she was about fifteen, just like B. She developed a hard outer skeleton, and not everyone could do that, especially when you thought you had no power. This woman B. was talking about was an adult, compared to a kid – he probably felt like he <strong><em>didn’t</em></strong> have power.</p><p>                “Eventually, I stood up to her, and told her that I didn’t want to talk to her like this anymore, and she didn’t bother me for a few weeks . . .” B. paused for a moment. “And then I started getting pictures of the school, and my car . . . then it was the places I hung out at . . . and eventually, she . . . she sent me a picture of the <strong><em>house</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “She found out where y’all lived ?” Patience asked. “Holy shit, did you call the police ?”</p><p>                He shook his head, but he still didn’t cry.</p><p>                “I know that I should’ve, but I didn’t,” B. said. “I didn’t want Nanny and Melanoff to get involved and get mad at me for talking to this lady, but I know I should’ve because one day, she came up behind me while I was at the mall, and she tried to grab me and drag me towards her car.”</p><p>                Everyone gasped, and A. leaned in to hug his brother, and he reached for B.’s hand to give it a tight squeeze.</p><p>                “Luckily there were people around and they took her down, the police came and got her, but I just <strong><em>ran</em></strong> back to my car and drove home,” B. said. “I didn’t know what to do, or who to tell, so I didn’t say anything about it. Every day, I tell myself that it <strong><em>didn’t</em></strong> happen, even though . . . I know it did.”</p><p>                “Why didn’t you tell any of us ?” A. asked. “Yeah, Nanny and Melanoff might’ve been upset, but it’s because they care about us. To think of a life without you . . . I’d never <strong><em>stop</em></strong> <strong><em>looking</em></strong> until you were <strong><em>found</em></strong>. I’ve had <strong><em>nightmares</em></strong> about you not being there anymore. I can’t imagine what life would be like if you were gone – if you were being drugged up, <strong><em>trafficked</em></strong>, or <strong><em>worse</em></strong> – If she would’ve <strong><em>killed</em></strong> you ? I wouldn’t know what to <strong><em>do</em></strong> with myself !!”</p><p>                He grabbed B.’s arm and yanked him over to him and squeezed him into a hug, before he touched his twin’s hair, to reassure himself at B. was indeed still there, and that this wasn’t a dream.</p><p>                Jane reached down and scratched the top of B.’s head. She touched her hand to her chest, and felt her own heart race as she thought about how hard that must’ve been for her brother, how scary it must’ve been to be constantly harassed and even stalked before almost being kidnapped. She couldn’t imagine how scared he would’ve been, and she even questioned if that’s why he liked to travel. If he traveled all the time, then it would make it so much harder to find him.</p><p>                “Did they ever catch her ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “I don’t know,” B. responded. “I . . . don’t know.”</p><p>                Tim leaned over and put both his hands on B.’s shoulder, before he gave them a gentle squeeze, in an attempt to ground him. He was here, with his family, and that’s what mattered. Nobody was going to be able to get him, or at least keep him without a fight. They’d make sure that he was okay, and safe.</p><p>                “You’re here now, and we’re here for you,” Tim reassured. “Nobody’s going to get you, especially with all of us around. We’re all pretty strong, both physically and mentally. We’ve flown the unclimbable, we’ve beat the system, we got rid of our insidious parents – nobody would be able to stop us from keeping eachother safe, I hope you remember that.”</p><p>                There was a tug on the skirt of Jane’s dress and B. pulled her legs and Tim into the hug they were wrapped in, with Patience and Isaac on their knees as they came and entered the hug as well.</p><p>                “I promise I’ll tell you guys next time,” B. reassured. “I just . . . I didn’t know what to do the first time. I was so scared that you guys would be upset with me, because I was smarter than that.”</p><p>                “People do really dumb things when they love people, or think they love people,” Jane reassured. “Troy’s the whole reason I had a falling out with Nanny and Melanoff.”</p><p>                They all pulled back from the hug and looked up at Jane, to let her know that it was her turn to tell her story if she was ready. Tim and A. switched places, and now A. was in between B. and Patience, and Tim sat right next to Jane. Tim held her hand and nodded, to let her know that everyone was listening and nobody was there to judge her. Hell, they’d heard some wild things about their twin brothers, it would be okay if she accidentally murdered someone. As stated, nobody was there to judge.</p><p>                Jane sighed as she took her glasses off and put them on the empty chair next to her. She looked down to Tim, before she leaned down and planted a peck on his forehead, in order to steady herself, so she hopefully wouldn’t cry while she told her story. She sighed and looked down at her dress.</p><p>                “Troy and I had been fighting for weeks, about the same stuff – money, the fact he didn’t have a job, the fact he kept pressuring me into trying to have kids with him and to sleep with him. He got mad that we weren’t married, even though he never made any effort to propose. He barely even wanted to spend time with me outside of the bedroom,” Jane started. “<strong><em>Shit</em></strong> . . .”</p><p>                Tim got into the chair next to her after he picked up her glasses and tucked them into his shirt. He allowed her to lean on him and he rubbed her arm, as if he attempted to keep her warm, but it was to give her a pattern to focus on, so she wouldn’t panic and breakdown in the middle of the photo studio.</p><p>                “I went to tell Nanny and Melanoff about what had been going on between me and Troy, but of course, they started to . . .”</p><p>                It was as if the moment started to replay in her head again. She remembered them lecturing her, and the attempts they made to try and reason with her. She remembered how frustrated she got and how she snapped, it was like every insult she shouted echoed in the chambers of her head.  Jane felt herself stuff up, but she couldn’t manage any tears. It was like her mind felt like crying but her emotional wall was so strong, that it wouldn’t allow it. Her face heated up, in some sort of emotion – anger or upset; as she felt her body tense up due to stress. Her hands clung to Tim and she scooted closer to him.</p><p>                He proceeded to lift her into his lap and he held her close, as he ran his fingers through her hair.</p><p>                “They told me that I needed to break up with him, because he was showing all the red flags, but I thought I loved him, so I got so pissed off,” Jane explained. “I called Nanny a bitch and Melanoff a jackass, and Ruth was there the entire time. I remember pushing her to the side, and telling them that I didn’t need them if they didn’t want me to be happy.”</p><p>                “Were you happy ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “I don’t think I even knew what happy was for a long time, Troy made me feel like shit,” Jane commented. “I mean, there were moments I was, but even now, it feels like . . . I always feel like one day I’m going to feel worthless again. I feel like A. and Patience are going to start a family and be too busy to want to be around, B.might be travelling every place he hasn’t been yet, Tim’s going to find someone new and I won’t be able to stop him from leaving, and Taffeta won’t always want to be around either. I feel like I’m going to be alone at some point again, but I feel like I deserve it –“</p><p>                Her rambling was cut short as Tim squeezed her tight against his chest, and the tears she held back, finally came to her and she <strong><em>sobbed</em></strong>. She soaked up all the affection he gave her, even though in that moment, she felt like she didn’t deserve any love or attention. Her nails dug into his back and she couldn’t even speak. She cried so hard that barely any sound came out. She felt surrounded by hugs, but the only one that truly mattered to her was Tim, as she clung to him like her life depended on it.</p><p>                Home.</p><p>                “<strong><em>You</em></strong> <strong><em>do</em></strong> . . .” Tim sounded choked. “<strong><em>You</em></strong> <strong><em>do</em></strong> <strong><em>deserve</em></strong> <strong><em>it</em></strong>. <strong><em>You</em></strong> <strong><em>deserve</em></strong> <strong><em>it</em></strong> <strong><em>so</em></strong> <strong><em>much</em></strong> . . .”</p><p>                “You’re sweeter than you ever give yourself credit for,” Patience claimed. “You love quietly, and that’s okay. Not everyone loves loud. The point is, that you <strong><em>do</em></strong> love, and we <strong><em>know</em></strong> you care.”</p><p>                “And we <strong><em>care</em></strong> about you in return,” B. reminded. “We have to be better at <strong><em>showing</em></strong> you that we do, I know we haven’t done a good job of doing that in the past few years.”</p><p>                “You’re <strong><em>never</em></strong> going to be <strong><em>alone</em></strong>, Jane,” A. claimed. “We’ll <strong><em>never</em></strong> be <strong><em>too</em></strong> <strong><em>busy</em></strong> for you, and we <strong><em>want</em></strong> our future kid to know their aunt. We <strong><em>want</em></strong> you around, and we <strong><em>want</em></strong> you to <strong><em>stay</em></strong> with us. You’re our <strong><em>sister</em></strong>, and <strong><em>nothing</em></strong> comes above family.”</p><p>                “<strong><em>We care about you so much</em></strong>, <strong><em>and I’ll never</em></strong> . . . <strong><em>I’ll <span class="u">never</span> leave</em></strong>,” Tim promised. “<strong><em>I just got you back</em></strong>, <strong><em>why would I ever want to</em></strong> . . . <strong><em><span class="u">leave</span></em></strong> ?”</p><p>                “Tim, don’t cry !!” Jane whined. “Don’t –“</p><p>                And she started crying again. Both siblings pressed their foreheads together and nuzzled as they cupped eachother’s faces. They sighed and whined quietly as they soothed eachother. They pulled back away from eachother, and wiped their tears away, before they smiled.</p><p>                “Bad day to wear makeup, huh ?” she asked.</p><p>                “It’s all over your face,” he teased.</p><p>                “Thank you guys, for . . . being here,” she sighed. “I have to be better about showing that I care, because you guys . . . you all matter to me, and I’m sorry if I ever make you feel like you don’t.”</p><p>                It wasn’t much, but when a statement like that came from Jane, it did mean a lot. She wasn’t a ‘feelings’ person anymore, so when she showed some sort of feelings, it really meant something. It showed them that their sister was still inside herself, and she wasn’t too far gone into depression.</p><p>                “So, that leaves you, Tim,” Jane prompted. “What did you think about when we had to do the sad picture ?”</p><p>                “Oh, I don’t know you want to hear that,” Tim commented. “It’s probably too depressing.”</p><p>                “Is it about the coal bin ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “We can handle coal bin stories,” B. added. “Besides, it’s not fair that we had to tell our stories, and you don’t. You have to tell us something.”</p><p>                “Are you sure ?” Tim asked. “I mean, we all cried a lot today.”</p><p>                “Yes, we’re sure,” Jane confirmed. “We want to know, because if it still bothers you, we want to help you through it. You know that I’m always there for you.”</p><p>                Tim took a deep breath in as Jane got off of his lap and sat in the chair next to him. He put his hand atop her’s as she rested her hand on his shoulder.</p><p>                “It was hours before the twins’ graduation, and it was a really bad day,” Tim said. “Well, a lot of days were bad, but that day, I really tried hard not to . . . you know ?”</p><p>                Jane squeezed his shoulder, and nodded at him, to reassure him that it was okay for him to talk about it. The twins followed, and reached forward to grab his legs.</p><p>                “I went to get a few wine coolers from behind that liquor store on Sixth Street, you know, like I always did, every day, or else I’d be a sick, pissed off mess, and I tried not to buy anything else, but then before I could really think anything through, I was in the bathroom of that place, with two cases of wine coolers and a bag of cocaine.”</p><p>                He paused and leaned against Jane, who wrapped him in a hug and caressed his cheek.</p><p>                “I remember doing the entire bag on top of the urinal, and even getting on the ground and snorting some that fell, I didn’t care that the ground was dirty, I just wanted to stay high,” Tim claimed. “I cracked open the wine coolers and drank about half of the first pack, and then I blacked out and woke up in the hospital, with Queen there in front of me. She kicked me out of the house, and I had to stay at a hotel for about a month, she only came back after she spent half of our savings on her stupid car. She nearly put us into debt with that purchase, but I’m not saying that I wasn’t contributing to it, I spent nearly five hundred dollars on drugs and booze every month.”</p><p>                Both twins scooted forward, and they got up on their knees, to wrap their arms around their brother.</p><p>                “We fought a lot, she was pouring money down the drain and she had an entire gambling problem, as well as a damn shopping addiction,” Tim managed to laugh. “And of course, I was doing that. So things weren’t going great unless I was buying her things. It seemed like nothing I ever did mattered, and even after I got sober, we couldn’t trust eachother. Then we tried to have a kid, to distract ourselves from the fact that our marriage was failing, and I couldn’t even do that right.”</p><p>                Jane gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and nuzzled into his neck.</p><p>                “You’ve <strong><em>changed</em></strong> since then,” Jane reminded. “You have done so <strong><em>good</em></strong> with being sober, and getting on with your life, and I’m so happy that you’re a part <strong><em>– a huge part</em></strong> of mine again. I wouldn’t know what I’d do <strong><em>without</em></strong> you, Tim, I hope you’ll <strong><em>always</em></strong> know that.”</p><p>                She took his face and wiped the tears that came down his face away, as she nuzzled their noses together. It was okay, they were all okay, and they were going to continue to be okay. As he said weeks ago, it’s all a process, and they were there to help eachother through it.</p><p>                His hands were on her wrists and he smiled at her.</p><p>                The twins were on opposite sides of them, A. wrapped his arms around Jane, and B. wrapped his arms around Tim, before Isaac and Patience joined them both.</p><p>                “We’re glad that you chose sobriety over everything, even though it’s probably the <strong><em>hardest</em></strong> thing to keep doing nearly <strong><em>every</em></strong> <strong><em>single</em></strong> <strong><em>day</em></strong>,” A. claimed. “You’re our <strong><em>brother</em></strong>, you took care of us for <em>years</em>, and to have you <strong><em>dead</em></strong> on the bathroom floor in a liquor store . . . it’s just – we’re so <strong><em>happy</em></strong> to have you here. We’re happy that you’ve made it this far, and that you still want to get better and better <strong><em>every single day</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “You <strong><em>matter</em></strong> <strong><em>so</em></strong> much to us, and you’ll only <strong><em>continue</em></strong> to matter once you and Jane have your baby,” B. said. “Your job on earth <strong><em>never</em></strong> stops, and you’ll only <strong><em>continue</em></strong> to grow and get better. We still <strong><em>need</em></strong> you; Taffeta and <strong><em>Jane</em></strong> will <strong><em>need</em></strong> you now more than ever. You’re <strong><em>needed</em></strong>, <strong><em>wanted</em></strong>, and <strong><em>loved</em></strong>, no matter how <strong><em>badly</em></strong> you messed up in the past.”</p><p>                Tim nodded and he allowed everyone to wrap him up in a hug, and he sopped up all the warmth and love that came towards his way. It was nice to know that his family cared about him, and that they always will. It felt like the Willoughby family was finally doing something right again. It felt like the weakest link of their bloodline was mended by an even stronger one, and even though none of the Willoughby siblings were kings, philosophers, abolitionists, entertainers, or any of that – they were a <strong><em>family</em></strong>, and that was something that didn’t seem to be there for awhile.</p><p>                They all backed up out of the hug and nodded at eachother. It truly was a good idea to get things off their chests, and they did feel even closer than before. Maybe this was something that needed to happen.</p><p>                “Thank you, Isaac, Patience,” Tim sighed. “This really was an eye opener for us.”</p><p>                “All of us,” A. agreed. “I didn’t know you guys went through all of that.”</p><p>                “Me either,” B. said. “It’s crazy to think, if this had happened earlier – do you think we’d been closer ?”</p><p>                “Who knows ?” Jane claimed. “But, now, we can only continue to get closer.”</p><p>                There was a flash of a camera, as they looked to see Patience as she stood behind Isaac, who had his camera in his hands. He wiped a tear from his eye and looked at the camera.</p><p>                “I’m sorry,” Isaac apologized. “But I had to. This is a picture you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else, or you wouldn’t be able to pose for. Y’all don’t have to buy it if you don’t want to, but let me show it to you.”</p><p>                He tilted his camera to the Willoughby siblings, and showed them a picture of the twins clinging to Tim’s legs, while Tim had his arm around Jane, even though her face was full of messy mascara and eyeshadow.</p><p>                “I actually . . . like it ?” Tim claimed.</p><p>                “It’s uhm . . . pretty nice,” Jane claimed.</p><p>                “You can really see the emotion behind this one,” B. claimed. “I kind of want it.”</p><p>                “I’ll buy one too,” A. claimed. “As long as we can get a picture of B. and I sword fighting.”</p><p>                “Well, it’s a done deal,” Isaac agreed. “Now, let’s get back to set, we didn’t bring the throne out my prop closet for nothing.”</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Christmas Silience</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕪 - 𝕊𝕚𝕩 :</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕤 𝕊𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                It was grey and dark outside, as nothing was able to peak from between the clouds outside, and snow fell from the sky. It collected on the window frame and Smokey jumped up to catch the snowflakes as they fell against the window. Jane smiled at the sight of both of their cats in little Christmas sweaters as they took comfort against the cold window of the bedroom.</p><p>                She got up from the bed, before she went to the back of the door and slid herself into a giant blanket sweater that she bought herself weeks prior and had worn around the house as if it were a nightgown. She had been woken up due to hot flashes and Taffeta kicking up a storm a lot these days. She rubbed her stomach as she felt another kick against her stomach.</p><p>                “Mmh,” she mumbled. “G’morning, Taff.”</p><p>                She opened the door and walked downstairs, and held her stomach as she did. Jane walked down the stairs to see that Tim sat on the couch in front of the T.V, a video of a fireplace played on the T.V and she knitted her eyebrows in confusion at whatever the hell he was doing.</p><p>                “You look like a weird villain in a spy movie,” she commented. “What are you doing ?”</p><p>                “Ah, Merry Christmas, my darling,” he greeted. “Just looking at the pictures, is all.”</p><p>                She gagged at the sound of him as he called her ‘my darling’, even though she knew he was only teasing. Jane went around the couch and sat down next to him.</p><p>                He reached forward and grabbed a mug that sat on the coffee table before he handed it to her.</p><p>                There was whipped cream on top and steam seeped from the bottom of the whipped cream. A chocolate scent radiated from the mug before Jane sipped from the top. She panted quietly at the feeling of heat that filled her mouth. It was hot cocoa.</p><p>                “Thanks,” she yawned. “You’re up early.”</p><p>                “I got started on some of the stuff for dinner later,” he explained. “I’m glad we’re holding dinner later, then we can still see everyone without you having to push your boundaries.”</p><p>                “I’m still not ready to see everyone yet,” Jane sighed. “I know that it’s been awhile since everything had happened, but I still don’t know what to say. On top of that, Ruth’s still pretty upset with me.”</p><p>                “I wouldn’t worry about her,” Tim reassured. “She acts mad, but that’s because she doesn’t understand. She’s a kid. That’s expectable.”</p><p>                “She’s smarter than people give her credit for,” Jane insisted. “People really act pretty condescending towards teenagers, especially teenage girls, so I get why she acts the way she does sometimes, but the fact of the matter is that I’m too tired to get a speech from her about how I’m not talking to Nanny and Melanoff. I know I should, but I’m not ready yet.”</p><p>                “Do you know when you will be ?” Tim asked. “Well, at least, is there anything that can happen to make you more ready to talk to them ?”</p><p>                “Not really,” Jane sighed. “I just need time.”</p><p>                Tim bit the inside of his cheek and nodded, before he took a sip of his cocoa. He leaned over and allowed Jane to snuggle on his chest, like they would’ve that morning while they checked their social media pages.</p><p>                “What did Patience and A. say they were bringing ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Desserts,” Jane responded. “Mainly pies – apple pie, cherry pie, pecan pie.”</p><p>                “It’s been awhile since I’ve had a cherry pie,” Tim noted. “Normally, when we’d go to Queen’s family for Christmas dinner, after going to Nanny and Melanoff’s for Christmas breakfast, we’d have tamales, and enchiladas. Her mom would make cinnamon hot cocoa for everyone, and there’d be eggnog.”</p><p>                “Liquored up eggnog ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                Tim laughed and shook his head.</p><p>                “No, they knew,” Tim explained. “And Queen had a lot of uncles and aunts that got pretty wild when they were all boozed up, so her family tried to keep the alcohol to the minimum. You know, there were kids and babies there too. Someone had to take care of them.”</p><p>                “Ah, I see,” Jane claimed. “I’d normally treat myself to some left overs and look at the tiny tree I had in the corner until I got money through ZipPay. And I’d drop my presents off at everyone’s houses super early, so nobody saw me do it.”</p><p>                “You got us presents on Christmas ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, they were always on your front porch,” Jane explained. “Did you not get them ?”</p><p>                “Well, Queen would always bring in presents from the porch, but she said that they were late deliveries she paid for,” Tim claimed. “I thought that was reasonable, with her shopping problem, but I did wonder, why the woman that hated my guts would get me presents that I absolutely loved.”</p><p>                “Well, screw me, I guess,” Jane teased. “Did you ever use them ?”</p><p>                “Well, yeah, of course,” Tim said. “I loved that briefcase you got me all those years ago. I would still use it, but the Queen busted the lock open during one of our fights. She thought I was hiding money in it.”</p><p>                “Well, what was in it ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Pictures, things from the past,” Tim sighed. “It was like a memory box, that I wanted to keep safe. There were those poloroids from when Nanny got me that camera for Christmas. She shredded all of them, because she thought that it was ‘weird’ that I had pictures of my family.”</p><p>                “She’s weird,” Jane insisted. “It’s normal to have family pictures. Look around the house, they’re everywhere.”</p><p>                “Yeah, I know,” Tim said. “I was pretty damn mad when she did. Those pictures mean something to me, but she had to be a bitch, and of course, I don’t have it in me to do the same thing.”</p><p>                Both siblings jumped at the sound of something as it hit the window. They looked to see that there was a few lumps of snow stuck to the window, before they got up to check and see what it was. Upon first glace, they could tell there was a person bundled up with a snow shovel in front of their yard, but once they looked closer, they realized that it was Randy.</p><p>                “Oh !! I remember, I got a few little things for the Wolfes and the Vinderstromm – McMilks,” Jane exclaimed.</p><p>                She went under the stairs and got a few wrapped boxes of presents, all with bows and sticker labels for Randy, Bea, the Wolfe boys, baby Anya, Lars, Celeste, and baby Vinderstromm. Jane slid on her sheepskin boots that sat in the shoe rack by the front door.</p><p>                “Whoa, you’re going out like that ?” Tim asked. “Aren’t you going to change into some pants ?”</p><p>                “I have shorts on,” Jane insisted. “And I’m not going to be out there for more than a few minutes.”</p><p>                “Be careful,” Tim warned. “It might be icy out there too, actually, I’m going to go with you.”</p><p>                He set his mug down onto the table before he got up and put on his boots and a coat, along with earmuffs. He got another one of his coats that hung on the door before he wrapped it around Jane’s shoulders. They both ventured outside to see that Randy had gone back into his house to be with his family.</p><p>                First they approached the Wolfe’s house, and rang the doorbell, to which Randy answered, with his coat and other things in his hands. He gave them as smile as his sons squealed and laughed as they chased eachother around with toy guns.</p><p>                “Merry Christmas, Willoughbys !!” he greeted. “Do you two want to come in and have a cup of cocoa ? Bea makes the best hot cocoa on this entire block, she puts in mini candy canes and just lets them melt.”</p><p>                Tim shrugged as he looked at Jane.</p><p>                “You want to go in for a few ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, we don’t have much doing on right now,” Jane commented.</p><p>                Randy let them inside and Tim took the presents for the Wolfe family before he looked to Randy.</p><p>                “Do you want me to put these anywhere ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Ah, just put them on the couch,” Randy instructed. “We opened all our presents at four – thirty, at the boys’ insistence.”</p><p>                “Hi, Mister Tim !!” Damien greeted.</p><p>                He then jumped over the sectional and did a somersault on the ground before he made fake shooting noises as he pointed his toy gun at Hamish, who dropped dramatically to the ground.</p><p>                “Ugh !! Mommy !! I’ve been hit !!” Hamish shouted.</p><p>                Bea smiled and nodded at her youngest son as she swept her hands on her Christmas themed apron, and brought the two mugs of hot cocoa over to Jane and Tim.</p><p>                “It’s fresh and hot, so I’d be careful,” Bea warned. “You might want to gulp it all down in one hit.”</p><p>                “Hi Miss Jane !!” Connor called from the staircase.</p><p>                He then pretended to shoot at Damien and Damien slid down on his legs, before he caught sight of the new presents on the couch.</p><p>                “Did you guys get us presents ?” Damien asked.</p><p>                “There’s one for you and all of your brothers,” Jane explained. “And then one for your mom, and one for your dad.”</p><p>                The Wolfe boys picked up the biggest package and slid it off the couch onto their laps and Bea took the smaller one from the pile and gave the medium sized box to Randy. Everyone began to tear their Christmas themed wrapping paper off the presents and the boys gasped while both of the Wolfe parents gasped at their presents.</p><p>                “They got us a drone !!” Connor exclaimed.</p><p>                “Look, it has a camera in it !!” Damien added.</p><p>                “And it’s red !!” Hamish exclaimed. “Red’s my favorite color !!”</p><p>                The three boys went and tackled both Tim and Jane in a hug. Thankfully, all she had to catch was Hamish, because she wasn’t sure her body could handle Damien, or Connor . . . or both. Jane awkwardly returned the hug Hamish had wrapped her in, before she pat the small boy’s head.</p><p>                The three boys hopped off the couch and picked up the big box, before they all decided to go and set it up in Connor’s room, since his room was the closest to Randy and Bea’s home office.</p><p>                “Gardening tools !!” Bea exclaimed. “So you guys noticed our greenhouse out back ?”</p><p>                Jane nodded at her question.</p><p>                “We assumed you liked to garden, since you had a greenhouse in your backyard,” Jane explained. “And every gardener needs a new set of tools.”</p><p>                “Thank goodness I got a new set of tools,” Bea said. “Now I can let the boys use my old ones when they want to come and help us garden. Thank you, I really appreciate it.”</p><p>                “And champagne scented shampoo, conditioner, bar of soap, and beard oil ?” Randy asked. “Well, I guess I’m gonna be a fancy bitch for a few weeks. Is there glitter in the soap ?”</p><p>                “I can always take it back and swap it for a more manly one,” Jane claimed. “I get it if you wouldn’t want to use glitter soap, being a guy and all –“</p><p>                “Why would I ever want to trade this in ?” Randy asked. “I get to smell like champagne and come out of a shower, looking like I rolled around a cake factory.”</p><p>                “He steals my bath bombs from Euphoria when I buy them,” Bea giggled. “As a matter of fact, all the boys use my shower jellies, bath bombs, and the other day Damien used some of my gingerbread scented, glitter perfume.”</p><p>                Both Willoughby siblings laughed at the fact that a strong, grown man – Deputy of the police force, used glittery body wash, and champagne scented beard oil. It just went to say that self – care was not a gendered thing. Well, Tim was straight for the most part with the exception of one crush on a guy back in middle school that never went past infatuation, and he still liked spa days.</p><p>                Bea tore the wrapping paper off of the box before she saw the box itself, and opened it to reveal a few products that she could use to pamper herself. There was cocoa butter for her stomach, rose water for her face, face wash, face masks, body scrubs.</p><p>                “Oh my goodness !! Look at all of this !!” Bea exclaimed. “I was running out of face wash, I’m so glad you got me more. My face is so oily; it’s crazy. I never got this much acne with the boys.”</p><p>                “She even gets them on her back,” Randy stated. “She wants me to pop them and everything.”</p><p>                She slapped her husband in the shoulder and scrunched her nose.</p><p>                “Randall Wolfe !!” she scolded.</p><p>                “What ?” he asked. “You do !!”</p><p>                Jane noticed one last box that wasn’t supposed to go to Lars and Celeste’s house when they were done. She picked it up and handed it to Bea, before she smiled.</p><p>                “Speaking of pregnancy . . .” Jane said.</p><p>                Bea unwrapped the present for Anya, before she squealed upon the sight of the little outfit that was in the box. She pulled out a cute blue onesie that read ‘I Make The Rules’ in cursive with a shiny crown picture behind it, along with silver and white striped leggings attached to a fluffy blue tutu, and tiny little socks that looked like little dress shoes.</p><p>                “Randy, look at the little socks !!” Bea whined. “Aren’t they so cute ?”</p><p>                Randy also smiled at the outfit that the Willoughby siblings brought them.</p><p>                “Do you think it’ll match a monster truck bib ?” he asked. “Connor decided that she needed a monster truck bib. Damien and Hamish also got her a sippy cup with dinosaurs on it, and a onesie that said ‘Chicks Dig Me’.”</p><p>                Tim laughed at the notion of their daughter having more masculine stuff, but it wasn’t because they were having a girl, and they were gifted boy stuff. It was the fact that there wasn’t really a thing as a gendered outfit. If people were so concerned, then they could slap a bow on the outfit and show that their baby was indeed female.</p><p>                “Well, I hate to break it to you, Randy,” Jane started. “When you have a baby, it doesn’t matter if the baby’s a boy or a girl, chicks love babies.”</p><p>                “Oh jeez, so we’re going to have another Ladies Man, or rather Ladies Woman in the house ?” Randy groaned.</p><p>                Jane and Bea both snickered at his playful whining.</p><p>                “’Fraid so, snugglebun,” Bea teased. “But look on the bright side, people are going to think she’s the cutest baby they ever seen !!”</p><p>                “Well, I mean,” Randy started. “We all know where she gets it from.”</p><p>                “Me,” both Wolfe parents said at the same time.</p><p>                They looked to eachother before they began to laugh, Bea then looked at the pile of gifts that still remained at Tim’s side.</p><p>                “Oh, did you two get presents for Lars and Celeste ?” Bea asked. “I think I saw them turn their lights on earlier. They might be awake too.”</p><p>                “And with our newly shoveled walkway, you two shouldn’t have a lot of problems getting out,” Randy claimed. “Unless you need my help, I can carry the presents over to their house.”</p><p>                “Oh, we got it,” Tim reassured. “Thank you though.”</p><p>                “Thank you for dropping by and bringing us presents !!” Bea exclaimed. “We’re sorry that we didn’t have any for you !!”</p><p>                “Please, Bea, you’ve done enough,” Jane insisted. “It was about time we gave back to you guys and your family.”</p><p>                “Are you sure ?” Bea asked. “It is Christmas –“</p><p>                “I’m completely sure,” Jane confirmed. “Besides, you two helped completely renovate our house, the least we can do is bring your family a few Christmas presents.”</p><p>                Tim picked up the presents they were going to bring to Lars and Celeste’s house before they both headed out the front door and bid their ‘Merry Christmas’s and their goodbyes, the last thing they saw as they left the Wolfe house was the drone Jane had bought the boys, as it whirred down the stairs. Both siblings smiled, as it reminded them of when they were kids, and both the Barnabys would have some sort of dirigible around the house for whatever reason. The twins even made one to get the condiments from the fridge, so they could be flown to the dinner table without anyone needing to get up and get them.</p><p>                They walked down the walkway and towards the warmly lit Vinderstromm – McMilk house, before they saw that they had a heavy metal knocker attached to their front door.</p><p>                Tim reached forward and used it to knock on their door, before Celeste was the one that came to open it. She greeted them with a smile and allowed them to come inside, since the snow had begun to pick up and become rather blizzard like.</p><p>                “Merry Christmas, Tim and Jane,” she greeted. “Oh, are those for us ?”</p><p>                “Yes, actually, they are,” Jane confirmed.</p><p>                Lars looked up from the gingerbread house he had constructed before he smiled and gave them a wave. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it, before he began to type something into the phone.</p><p>                “Merry Christmas, Jane, Tim. Are those for us ?”</p><p>                Jane nodded to him as he came from the kitchen and they sat down on the couch, as Jane and Tim passed them their respective presents.</p><p>                Both of them unwrapped the presents they were given, and even Lars gasped at what he had been gifted. He quickly signed at Celeste with a huge grin on his face, as he had gotten a new wood sander for his woodwork, and Celeste showed him her present three sets of expensive eyeshadow palettes.</p><p>                Lars scrambled to get his phone back in his hands and quickly typed something into it.</p><p>                “This is amazing !! My sander broke down a few weeks ago and I’ve been needing a new one !!”</p><p>                “And I’ve been wanting these palettes for awhile now,” Celeste added. “The blue in this ‘Ice Queen’ one is so pigmented and vibrant !!”</p><p>                “I know, I love that palette too !!” Jane gushed. “The white can also be used as an intense highlight, because it’s so bright and shimmery. I use it sometimes !!”</p><p>                “Thank you two,” Celeste said. “This really means a lot to us. It was a great start to a pretty cruddy day.”</p><p>                “Why do you say that ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                Lars typed something into his phone before the electronic voice sounded from its speakers.</p><p>                “This morning we found out that something happened with the baby, the baby is okay, but it was still very frightening, for us and our surrogate, because she’s a teenager, and her body went through something very scary. We thought we were going to lose them, <strong><em>both</em></strong> of them, but the doctors said not to worry, but still, we worry.”</p><p>                “Oh, that must’ve been terrifying !!” Tim exclaimed. “I hope everything really is okay for you guys, and the girl. Pregnancy is hard, and even scarier when the parents experience complications.”</p><p>                “We found out that Taffeta isn’t progressing as much as she should. She’s still behind on her growth,” Jane attempted to empathize. “The doctor <strong><em>says</em></strong> she’s going to be okay, and she’s still moving a whole lot, but it’s still worrisome.”</p><p>                “Yeah, our baby’s movement is still regular,” Celeste explained. “But the thing that happened wasn’t a growth thing.”</p><p>                Lars typed into his phone before he put a hand on Celeste’s shoulder.</p><p>                “We’re taking it in strides, but hopefully everything will be okay.”</p><p>                “Yes, hopefully,” Tim agreed. “I’m sure it will be, let’s just focus on the positive things; for now, your baby is okay, and they’re moving normally. Your surrogate says she’s okay. Everything will be okay, hopefully.”</p><p>                Celeste groaned softly before she put her head in her hands.</p><p>                “And my family is coming over,” Celeste sighed. “Both of my parents, but they’re divorced, and my mom is bringing her new girlfriend. I mean, I like her girlfriend, but I hate the fact that she left my dad, and that they’re so nonchalant about everything. I thought my parents were in love.”</p><p>                “Well, are both your parents happy ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Well, yeah, and I’m happy that they’re happy, but . . .” Celeste sputtered. “I guess, I just miss the way things used to be with my family, when everything was going good.”</p><p>                “Divorces normally happen for a reason,” Tim explained. “Maybe things weren’t working out the way you thought they were ? Did your parents ever seem mad at eachother ?”</p><p>                “Of course not !!” Celeste exclaimed. “We were so happy, and then they called to tell me that they were divorcing and that my mom was seeing another woman.”</p><p>                “Maybe your mom always liked women ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Then why would she marry my dad if she likes women ?”</p><p>                Celeste waved her hands in order to calm herself down, and Lars reached over before he gave his wife a squeeze and kissed her cheek.</p><p>                “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be bringing you guys into this,” Celeste apologized. “I just have trouble wrapping my head around it all, because they really did seem to love eachother. It’s hard to fathom that something went wrong between them, because they’re my parents, you know ?”</p><p>                “Things happen for a reason,” Tim commented. “Maybe it wasn’t a bad thing. Maybe they still do love eachother, just not in that way ?”</p><p>                “Keep an eye on them while they’re over today,” Jane suggested. “If they still seem to get along well, maybe it was a mutual thing.”</p><p>                Jane grabbed the final box before she handed it to Celeste.</p><p>                “Another present ?” Celeste asked.</p><p>                Celeste unwrapped the box, before she opened it up and pulled out a pair of small baby leggings, that were covered in cute little cartoon frogs, as well as socks with frog faces on them, a green onesie that read as ‘Hoppy Little Thing’, and a cute frog beanie.</p><p>                “Oh my god, this is the cutest thing ever !!” Celeste gushed. “Oh, speaking of good news, we did find out what we’re having !!”</p><p>                Lars had a smile return to his face as he nodded and typed into his phone.</p><p>                “A boy !!”</p><p>                “But we’re being really lenient on gender roles,” Celeste reassured. “So if our son wants to wear a dress or drink out of princess cups, he can.”</p><p>                “Boys can like princesses too,” Lars typed. “I remember reading the story of Cinderella all the time growing up. I love the part where the stepmother gets her eyes pecked out by all the crows.”</p><p>                Jane nodded in agreement.</p><p>                “That was one of the best parts of that book,” Jane agreed. “Along with the stepsisters cutting parts of their feet off to fit inside the slipper.”</p><p>                “You two are creepy, and frankly that’s a bit concerning,” Tim commented. “I’d rather show Taffeta the cartoon where they simply get rejected by the prince and Cinderella gets the guy in the end.”</p><p>                “I can agree with you there,” Celeste agreed. “And I’m the one that’s reading to Felix every night, so I think we’re sticking with books like ‘Where’s Winnie’s Waffles ?’ and ‘Rainbow Colors with Pablo the Frog’.”</p><p>                Lars signed something to Celeste before she punched his shoulder and he snickered quietly.</p><p>                “It is <strong><em>not</em></strong> boring,” Celeste said. “At least he won’t be <strong><em>traumatized</em></strong> by a scary bedtime story.”</p><p>                Lars signed to her again before she shook her head.</p><p>                “<strong><em>No</em></strong>, you are <strong><em>not</em></strong> going to show him the ‘Slaughterhouse’ movies,” Celeste scolded. “And I don’t <strong><em>care</em></strong> if you think that ‘Slaughterhouse Six’ is the <strong><em>least</em></strong> scary out of all of them. He’s not watching <strong><em>any</em></strong> of those.”</p><p>                “Oh, come on Celeste !!” Jane encouraged. “You have to get the kids used to them sometimes.”</p><p>                “You’re not showing Taffeta any scary movies either !!” Tim exclaimed. “She’s too young for them !!”</p><p>                “You guys are such buzzkills,” Jane complained. “I read scary books and watched scary movies when I was a kid, and I came out okay.”</p><p>                “That’s debatable,” Tim teased.</p><p>                “Ooo, below the belt,” Jane hissed. “But, I’m going to get more maternity leave than you, so, while you’re at work . . .”</p><p>                Lars nodded in agreement at what Jane hinted at, before he typed into his own phone.</p><p>                “And don’t you have to go to Los Angeles for a business trip a week after Felix is born ?”</p><p>                “You guys better not be conspiring against us !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>                “We’ll be watching your asses,” Celeste warned. “I got the cameras up in the house.”</p><p>                Lars shrugged and gave his wife a devious smirk, as he typed his next thought into his phone.</p><p>                “Yeah, for robbers.”</p><p>                “And for sneaky partners like you two,” Celeste claimed. “Tim, I should give you the password to our cameras, so you can see if they’re over here, watching scary movies with the kids around while you’re at work.”</p><p>                Tim laughed at the thought of spying on Jane and Lars to see if they would try to sneak in a viewing of ‘Slaughterhouse’ or ‘Shark Week’ while Celeste and himself were off at work. He doubted Jane would, and she would be far more focused on making Taffeta happy than trying to get their baby to watch scary movies. He knows he would be, and there was no doubt in his mind that Jane loved her just as much as he did.</p><p>                “Oh, well, we better get started on our ham,” Celeste claimed. “Thank you for coming by with the presents, it means a lot !!”</p><p>                Both Willoughby siblings got up and off the couch before they headed to the front door, before they noticed that they both had cat hair on their backs and butts that didn’t match Grandpa’s or Smokey’s.</p><p>                “Oh, I’m sorry, we have cats,” Celeste explained.</p><p>                Lars handed them both a lint roller and they got the fur off eachother’s backs before they finally began to leave.</p><p>                “Merry Christmas !!” Celeste called from inside.</p><p>                They finally saw two cats climb down the staircase as they left the Vinderstromm – McMilk house.</p><p>                “They have kitties too, Tim !!” Jane exclaimed.</p><p>                She then shivered as they stepped out into the snow that beat against the thick blanket of snow that already laid outside of the house.</p><p>                “And our kitties probably want you home too,” Tim suggested. “I told you that you should’ve put pants on under that.”</p><p>                “Sh – Sh – Shut up . . .”</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Dès Vu Dinner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>❇ || Howdy guys ! I'm sorry that this wasn't posted yesterday, but I have been sick the past few days !! I hope this makes up for my lack of updates !! ❤</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕪 - 𝕊𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 :</p><p>𝔻𝕖̀𝕤 𝕍𝕦 𝔻𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕣</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                The doorbell rang as Jane went to the front door after she heard knocking. She handed the last few sets of silverware as she went to answer the front door. Once the door opened, she ushered their family and guest of the night, Sabrina, inside. She held out her arms for their coats and hats so they could get comfortable in their home.</p><p>                “Merry Christmas everyone,” she greeted. “I hope the snow wasn’t too much trouble, I know it’s getting pretty shitty out there.”</p><p>                “M – Merry Christmas !!” Patience shivered. “Y – Y’all want us to put the presents under the tree ?”</p><p>                “Y – You actually have a tree this year ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “I – It looks nice in here !!” B. exclaimed.</p><p>                “V – Very Christmas – y ?” Sabrina commented. “I mean, more l – lively than Hannukah dinner.”</p><p>                “That’s a nice sweater, Sabrina,” Jane complimented. “I love the blue.”</p><p>                “Oh, my bubbe got one for all of my family,” Sabrina explained. “She wanted us to look festive, and for me to not look like meschugena.”</p><p>                “You guys must be freezing !!” Tim called from the kitchen. “Come sit at the table, and I’ll get you guys some cocoa. Dinner’s almost ready.”</p><p>                “Do ya’ need help in there, Tim ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “And where do you want us to put these pies ?” A. asked.</p><p>                ‘I’m almost done with all, you guys can just sit down and I’ll serve you all,” Tim claimed. “And put the pies on the island.”</p><p>                Everyone sat at the table before Tim brought them mugs of hot cocoa.</p><p>                “So, how was everyone’s Christmas so far ?”</p><p>                “So busy,” A. groaned. “First we went to Nanny and Melanoff’s for breakfast, and then had to talk about grown up stuff like whether or not I’m paying my bills and Melanoff had to go to the M.V.D, so we had to hear about that, and then we had to go to Patience’s parents for lunch, and I had to put up with her brothers –“</p><p>                “And Dorian came all late, while A. was packin’ up the truck with our presents and food we took back from my family,” Patience added. “And I had to put up with his fiancée before I excused myself.”</p><p>                “I still didn’t get to meet her,” A. commented. “But once Patience was out of there, she wanted to get out of there. I don’t blame her, I wanted to come home and enjoy Christmas for ourselves too.”</p><p>                “What about you, B. ?” Jane asked. “Sabrina ?”</p><p>                “It was okay, I stayed at Nanny’s and Melanoff’s with Ruth and played her new Kinect – Box for awhile,” B. claimed. “And then I went to Sabrina’s family’s place and talked to her as she sliced up the last of the pastrami that her mom wanted her to slice up for when everything opens back up, and then bailed her out of the deli to bring her here, so she didn’t have to stay around all that meat all day.”</p><p>                “And I spent time around pastrami and gefelte fish,” Sabrina said. “So, the smell of ham is a bit of an improvement from the food I was around.”</p><p>                Tim chuckled at her comment before he brought back the plates and laid them in front of everyone, before he took a seat next to Jane.</p><p>                “You can eat all this stuff, right, Sabrina ?” Jane asked. “Like this isn’t against your religion ?”</p><p>                “I only celebrate Hanukkah and other Jewish holidays to make my family happy,” Sabrina explained. “Other than that, I’m pagan, and frankly don’t care if things are kosher or not.”</p><p>                “Okay, good,” Jane sighed. “I wouldn’t want to serve you if you couldn’t eat anything.”</p><p>                “We would’ve went and gotten you something, if you couldn’t however,” Tim reassured.</p><p>                “Please, we would’ve eaten already if she couldn’t eat what we were having tonight,” B. insisted.</p><p>                “Are you two dating ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                Sabrina and B. both looked taken back by the statement, and B. looked to A. in hopes of A. responding with something witty to Jane, as he couldn’t think of anything to say. Luckily, his twin swooped in with a comeback, though it was the last one anybody at the table wanted to hear.</p><p>                “That would be like if you were to date Tim,” A. retorted. “He’s like a brother to her, they’re just friends.”</p><p>                “But, if we did go out –“ B. started.</p><p>                Sabrina simply laughed at the notion of her and B. becoming a couple. She shook her head, before she went back to eating.</p><p>                “He’s like the brother I never had,” Sabrina claimed. “And seriously, I have six younger sisters, the youngest of which is six.”</p><p>                Both twins looked at eachother, with A. as he bit down on his bottom lip and gave his twin a sympathy nod, and B. as he kept a very fake smile on his face, but to everyone that knew him well enough, knew that we wanted to crawl into a hole and bury himself in it.</p><p>                Patience cleared her throat in attempt to break the thick amount of tension.</p><p>                “So, what made you want to get a Christmas tree, Jane ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                Jane motioned to Tim, before she shook her head.</p><p>                “I never really got the whole Christmas decorating thing, but Tim insisted we decorated the house,” Jane explained. “I finally gave in because I was so sick of hearing about how nice a tree would look in our window.”</p><p>                “Well, it does look nice,” Patience complimented. “Really spruces up the inside and makes it feel all festive.”</p><p>                “Well, thank you,” Jane responded. “I’d hate for all that hard work to be for nothing. Tim tried to get the weird elf thing but I was not going to let him put that creepy doll in our house.”</p><p>                “It is not creepy !!” Tim exclaimed. “It’s cute, and once Taffeta’s older, we could’ve made a tradition out of it. I saw tons of creative ideas on Pin – It about different ways you could move the elf and all the things you could make them do.”</p><p>                “I loved the elf !!” Patience exclaimed. “We used to have one too, and her name was Minty. She would hide all over the house and I was always extra good around Christmas time, so she wouldn’t have anything to report to Santa the next day.”</p><p>                “I get it though,” Sabrina agreed with Jane. “Growing up, I never really understood it, and one of my friend’s family did it every year. It was very awkward to try and use the bathroom with those creepy doll eyes staring at you.”</p><p>                “But you can have those creepy porcelain dolls in your room ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “It’s different,” Sabrina claimed. “I’m not scared of porcelain dolls.”</p><p>                “But you’re scared of the elf doll, clowns, people in costumes, mall Santas, the Fruity Fruit Punch Ma-“</p><p>                “Patience, we get it,” Sabrina interrupted. “No need to tell everyone everything about me.”</p><p>                “You’re scared of mall Santas too ?” B. asked. “They totally give me the heebie – jeebies.”</p><p>                Soon, everyone was finished with dinner and they all settled in the living room, where the twins distributed the presents to their rightful owners. It had been years since the Willoughby siblings had experienced a Christmas like this – sober Tim, present Jane, happy Barnabys, the only other two people around were Patience and Sabrina, no overbearing parents, or awful significant ( or shall we say ‘insignificant’ ) others. Just people that made everyone happy.</p><p>                “Do you want me to make a separate pile for Taffeta’s presents ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Just put them in with mine,” Jane instructed. “I mean, she can’t <strong><em>open</em></strong> them anyway.”</p><p>                Tim watched as B. fumbled to pocket a small box, before he noticed that it was addressed to Sabrina. He wanted to ask about it, but he knew it would be suspicious if he pulled his brother outside of the room with no reason as to why. He thought for a moment before he came up with an idea.</p><p>                “Hey B., you’re the most fashion forward out of us guys,” Tim claimed. “Can you come help me with something really fast ? I got a few new ties in the mail the other day, and I want to see which one will look the best for my next meeting about the eggs.”</p><p>                “Oh, uh, okay,” B. responded. “But what about the presents ?”</p><p>                “They’ll be here when we get back,” Tim commented. “Come on.”</p><p>                “Can I come too ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “No !!” Tim exclaimed. “Uhm, I’m sure your fiancé needs help with the presents down there.”</p><p>                Patience shrugged him off before she got on the ground to help A. pass out the rest of the presents on the ground, as Tim brought B. up into his room.</p><p>                “You still haven’t slept in your bed yet ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “What are you hiding from Sabrina ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                The younger of the two looked taken back by the question and his face heated into a nervous blush, as he shrugged at the notion that he was hiding something.</p><p>                “What ? Hiding something from Sabrina ?” B. sputtered. “I’m not hiding anything from her !! What would I even have to hide from her ?”</p><p>                Tim reached into B.’s pant pocket, before he pulled out the neatly wrapped gift for Sabrina. It was too big to be a ring box, but too small to be anything other than a jewelry box. Possibly a necklace ?</p><p>                “What’s this ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Give that back !!” B. exclaimed. “It’s none of your business, that’s what it is !!”</p><p>                “Why are you trying to hide this from her ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “I was . . .” B. started.</p><p>                He stopped to sigh, before he rubbed the bridge of his nose, after he scrunched his eyebrows in frustration.</p><p>                “I was going to ask her to be my girlfriend today,” B. claimed. “But if she thinks of me as a brother, then what’s the point ? I’m only going to embarrass myself even more than I already have.”</p><p>                Tim sat his brother down on the bed before he sat down next to him and put his hand on his back. He bit the inside of his cheek before he cleared his throat.</p><p>                “Well, if you were to ask me for my advice, which you aren’t, but I’ll tell you anyway,” Tim stated. “I think you and her should actually talk about where you both stand. She probably doesn’t have any idea that you feel that way about her, which is why she’s comfortable about treating you like a brother.”</p><p>                “But I always get so awkward when I try to talk to her about it !!” B. exclaimed. “I feel like it makes her uncomfortable when I bring it up, or like I’m trying to pressure her into being with me, and I don’t want to be some lowlife creep that pressures girls into going out with me, but I really want to be with Sabrina, even if it’s not forever.”</p><p>                “Then tell her that !!” Tim insisted. “If you don’t feel comfortable with it today, then tell her tomorrow, but you have to tell her. She’s never going to know if you don’t say anything.”</p><p>                “Do you still think I should give this to her ?” B. asked. “It’s just a necklace, and not anything romantic, but I don’t know if this would make her uncomfortable too.”</p><p>                “I say do it,” Tim claimed. “She’ll probably be happy that you still got her something, even if she doesn’t celebrate Christmas.”</p><p>                Tim managed to make B. smile as the twin held the jewelry box in his hands.</p><p>                “Hey Tim,” B. stated.</p><p>                “Yeah ?”</p><p>                “While we’re at it, why don’t you propose to Jane, since you guys are basically already married.”</p><p>                Tim, surprisingly, laughed at the joke, before he punched his younger brother in the shoulder.</p><p>                “That doesn’t even legally work, you jerk,” Tim chuckled. “But seriously thought, I’m getting tired of the jokes like that. Try something else.”</p><p>                “Okay, okay, you ginormous giraffe man,” B. teased. “We should probably get back down there before A. opens all of our presents for us.”</p><p>                Tim nodded in agreement before he got off the bed.</p><p>                “Good point,” he agreed. “They’re probably done sorting everything by now.”</p><p>                Both men went downstairs before B. ran into Sabrina under the walkway.</p><p>                “Oh, we just got done with the presents,” Sabrina explained. “Patience wanted me to go up and check on you two, to see if you guys needed help with something.”</p><p>                “Oh, uh, no, we’re fine,” B. stuttered. “Thanks for the concern though.”</p><p>                Everyone else in the room snickered at both of them, before B. turned and put his hands on his hips.</p><p>                “What are you guys laughing at ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I’d look up if I were you two,” A. commented. “There’s something there.”</p><p>                Both Sabrina and B. looked at the ceiling of the walk way, to see a sprig of mistletoe. B. immediately heated into another red hot blush as he crossed his arms and looked at Sabrina.</p><p>                “Don’t people kiss under these ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Well, <strong><em>yeah</em></strong>,” B. laughed. “But you’re <strong><em>Jewish</em></strong>, you don’t <strong><em>have</em></strong> to if you don’t <strong><em>want</em></strong> t –“</p><p>                He was then cut off by Sabrina, as she got onto her tiptoes and planted a soft peck on his cheek that left a soft black lipstick mark on the side of his face.</p><p>                “Oh, sorry, I left some schmutz there,” she said.</p><p>                She licked her thumb and wiped the lipstick off his face, before she went back to her place on the couch, and B. soon joined them, as he failed at hiding the big, stupid grin that came across his face.</p><p>                “Alright, everybody ready ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “We’ve waited long enough !!” A. whined. “I’m starting now, whether you guys like it or not.”</p><p>                He instantly tore into the first present that was from Tim to himself. It was a small cologne bottle of very expensive cologne that his eyes widened at. It was a triangular bottle, labeled as ‘Echo Noir’, with a picture of a panther engraved into the glass.</p><p>                “Holy shit, how did you spring for this ?” A. asked.</p><p>                Tim simply smirked and shrugged.</p><p>                “Can’t reveal all my secrets,” Tim answered.</p><p>                The twin simply groaned at the statement and shook his head.</p><p>                “Don’t tell me that you’re turning into Jane now,” he whined. “Jeez, when two people are around eachother all the time, they really do start turning into eachother.”</p><p>                Patience opened the next present, that was also from Tim, but addressed to her. She opened up the box, before she pulled out a pair of silicone oven mitts.</p><p>                “Whoa !! Silicone oven mitts ?” she asked. “I’ve been wantin’ to get me a pair, because my old ones got a hole burned into them from a pecan pie that went wrong.”</p><p>                Sabrina was the one to open a present next, but hers was address from ‘The Willoughby Family’, which consisted of Tim, Jane, and Taffeta. She unwrapped it to reveal a black beanie with moons along the rim and a black scarf with stars on the bottom.</p><p>                “Sorry if it’s not super goth,” Jane apologized. “But it was either that or a rainbow set, and we knew you wouldn’t want to wear rainbows.”</p><p>                “No, this is actually kind of perfect,” Sabrina complimented. “It’s better than the one my bubbe knitted me. Pastel blues and yellows. Not really my thing.”</p><p>                “Well, it’s always sweet to have someone make somethin’ for you,” Patience reasoned. “That means they took time and effort out of their day, just to make something they hope you’ll like.”</p><p>                “I never said it <strong><em>wasn’t</em></strong> sweet,” Sabrina justified. “Just that it doesn’t fit my style.”</p><p>                The next to open their present was B., and he unwrapped the one addressed to him from Jane, before he saw an outfit that consisted of an infinity scarf, velvet suit jacket, turtleneck sweater, suit pants, argyle socks, and shiny dress shoes.</p><p>                “Whoa !! I’m going to look like a whole playboy in this !!” B. exclaimed.</p><p>                “As Tim said, you are the most fashion forward brother,” Jane reminded. “And considering I’m the most fashion forward sibling, I thought you might like a new outfit.”</p><p>                “Oh, can I open one for Taffeta ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                Jane handed him one from Patience and A., and Tim tore off the wrapping paper before he revealed to both himself and Jane that they had been gifted a baby carrier. Jane began to chuckle, as she remembered just a few weeks ago, how Tim tried to make fun of Megan’s husband, Brad, as he was carrying their baby in a baby carrier.</p><p>                “Now just imagine how useful it’ll be !!” Patience exclaimed. “Y’all can get cooking done quicker, or get yardwork done without havin’ to worry about constantly checkin’ in on little ol’ Taff, ‘cause she’ll be strapped right to her chest.”</p><p>                “So, are you up for a baby carrier now ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                Tim laughed at her question before he nodded.</p><p>                “Well, now that we have one, we might as well use it,” he explained. “Can’t have Patience and A. wasting their money on something we’ll never use.”</p><p>                “Did you know that skin to skin contact is actually good for both parents and the baby ?” Sabrina asked. “It allows the baby to bond with both parents, so that they are easily consolable between both parents, as they recognize both their mom and dad’s heartbeats.”</p><p>                “It’s actually encouraged among parents,” A. emphasized. “And you get to be shirtless in the hospital. What more could a person want ?”</p><p>                Tim laughed at the idea of walking around the hospital room, shirtless, as he carried Taffeta. Did that mean he’d have to see Jane shirtless ? Jane wasn’t breastfeeding, but still ? He shivered as he shook away the thought. Not on Christmas . . . or hopefully ever.</p><p>                Jane opened her present from A. next, though she was confused to why Patience’s name wasn’t also on the present. She tore off the wrapping paper before she opened the box to reveal more tissue paper. She unfolded what seemed to be layers and layers of wrapping paper, before she pulled out a crocheted sweater, and another crocheted thing fell into her lap.</p><p>                “What’s this ?” she asked.</p><p>                She held up the thing, before she laughed upon the realization of what it was.</p><p>                “Is this a crocheted g – string ?” she asked. “I don’t even wear g – strings normally.”</p><p>                “You can always give it back,” A. commented. “But yes, I did make them both, and thank you for being proud of me.”</p><p>                “The sweater too ?” Jane asked. “Oh my god, these are really great, A. !! You did a great job !!”</p><p>                “You started crocheting ?” Tim asked. “Jack of All Trades, I guess.”</p><p>                “It’s really calming actually,” A. explained. “Patience’s mom taught me how to, and I can crochet the shit out of a quilt. Coming soon to a Patience and A.’s house near you.”</p><p>                Tim opened the next present which was from B., and he opened to see a completely steam – pressed, folded, black suit that laid atop new dress shoes and white socks.</p><p>                “Holy shit !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>                The twin that gave him a present acted like he dusted dirt from off his shoulders.</p><p>                “Now there’s something you can wear to your next meeting,” B. teased. “I feel like every man needs a good suit. I mean, you do have like six, but still, none of them are quite like this one.”</p><p>                “You’re right about that,” Tim agreed. “I’m going to look very ‘cash money’ in this.”</p><p>                Jane stuck her tongue out at the comment and let off a quiet ‘bleugh’.</p><p>                “Don’t ever say that again,” she said.</p><p>                “Oh, wait until the dad jokes start pouring in,” Tim teased. “I’ll be unstoppable then.”</p><p>                Jane simply groaned as everyone continued to open their presents. The night was full of smiles at their new gifts, and they stories they shared ( Sabrina told them about her most notable Hanukkah dinners, and B. told them about how Ruth got a cage of sugar gliders for Christmas and how she named them all after Melanoff’s candies, to note a few stories that went around that night ).</p><p>                The twins got eachother both a brooch in the shape of an ‘A’, and a necklace with a ‘B’ pendant. Patience gifted Sabrina a set of jewelry that had black cats all over them. Jane and Tim received a stylish new outfit for Taffeta from B. ( and it was a bit bigger, so she had to wait a few months while she wore it ). Patience was given a friendship necklace from Sabrina, to replace one that broke a while back. B. decided to wait to give Sabrina the necklace he got her, due to feeling as if the timing still wasn’t right. Finally there were only two presents left, and they were for both Tim and Jane from eachother.</p><p>                “Kind of crazy how we get eachother’s last,” Tim chided. “Well, I hope you like mine.”</p><p>                “Same here,” Jane agreed. “But, just don’t cry when you get to it.”</p><p>                “Get to what ?”</p><p>                “You’ll see.”</p><p>                They both unwrapped eachother’s presents, before Jane opened up a necklace and earrings box, within the necklace, it had three bedazzled but tiny charms, all in the shapes of ‘T, J, and T’ to stand for himself, Jane, and Taffeta, and two dangly earrings to match.</p><p>                “These are so pretty !!” Jane exclaimed. “And the charms !! Did you get these premade for us ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, there’s this website online that I got most of Queen’s jewelry from,” Tim explained. “They’re super reliable, and they have great quality jewelry.”</p><p>                “Oh, so she gets to know the answer ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Well, I’m not telling her the website !!” Tim justified.</p><p>                Jane then noticed a sheet of paper, and Tim’s handwriting scrawled across it before she took it from the box and adjusted her glasses so she could see better. She scrunched her eyes so she could read what he had written.</p><p>                “To Jane, Again, these last few months with you have been the best in my life, but I’ve actually been noticing changes from when I lived with Queen. When I still lived with her, I felt like I was being broken down every single day, and when we finally divorced, I was so close to having a relapse. If you hadn’t come along that day to come and tell me that you were pregnant, and invited me to live with you – I don’t know where I’d be now. Okay, let’s be honest, I’d be passed out on my drug dealer’s couch, high off my ass, without a job, or a home – I’d be a total loser, maybe even worse than Troy, and that’s saying a lot, haha. You and Taffeta have given me a new high, and one I forever hope to chase. I want to be the best life partner, brother, and father to you and our baby, and take this gift as my vow to do just that. You and Taffeta saved me that day, and regardless of how much you don’t think you’re great, you will forever be my savior, and the one I come home to every day. I don’t really know how to end this letter, so I guess I’ll just say, Merry Christmas, Jane. You matter so, so much to me and you deserve the world. Your life partner, brother, and Taffeta’s poppa, Tim.”</p><p>                Jane reached for some stray tissue paper, before she used it to wipe the mascara tears that ran down her face as she leaned onto Tim. She couldn’t help but to smile at the thought, but he was the one that saved himself. He was the one that wanted to change, but the fact that she could help him that much really meant a lot to her. It did make her feel good, because ‘good’ wasn’t a word she’d use to describe herself. Happy ? Yes. Good ? No.</p><p>                “Open yours,” she insisted.</p><p>                He opened the tiny box to see another, golden watch that shined under any light, and there was a small slip of paper in the lid, that he pulled out and unfolded. It read in Jane’s rather proper modern cursive, and he was a little surprised that she had written a letter for him as well, because Jane wasn’t about big gestures. She was the most affectionate around Tim, but even then, sometimes affection from him made her visibly uncomfortable.</p><p>                “To Tim, I’m not good at this whole ‘feelings’ thing, and you know that better than anyone else in my life. I hate to sit here and use Troy as an excuse, but that guy . . . he wasn’t quite nice to me, but you, on the other hand, are everything he isn’t and more. I have never met a man more kind, compassionate, and caring as you. Queen didn’t deserve that, and she didn’t deserve you. I wish I had been there more often, so I could’ve helped you out of all your darkest times, but you were able to get out of them yourself. You are stronger than you’ll ever know and give yourself credit for. You’ve done what many men wouldn’t, and took myself and our baby into your hands, even if she isn’t truly yours. I wanted to thank you for that, and thank you for coming back into my life again. You were the change I needed. This house feels like a home, and I don’t feel so alone anymore. I wouldn’t know what to do without you, and I wanted you to know that even though I don’t say any of this out loud – I still, and always will care about you. Your partner in crime and sister, Jane.”</p><p>                He gasped quietly before he pulled her into a hug. He sniffled a bit to keep the tears that were about to burst and slide down his face from doing so. He wanted to cry, but they were nothing but happy tears. He cupped her cheek and slid his thumb across it.</p><p>                “I care about you too.”</p><p>                She simply let off a hum of acknowledgement at his comment, before she nodded.</p><p>                “Well, whatever’s in those letters must be real emotional,” Patience commented. “How is it that you’re the only one that can get her to do that ?”</p><p>                “Well, love letters make everyone emotional,” A. teased.</p><p>                His twin responded with a punch to his calf before B. shook his head, to tell him to quit it with those jokes for awhile. A. simply sighed and shook his head before he shrugged.</p><p>                “Oh, before we forget,” B. started. “There’s a few more presents in the truck. I don’t know if you guys want to open them now – or if Jane want to open it yet, but let me go get them.”</p><p>                He got up off the couch before A. got up to follow him with the keys. Both twins swore at the amount of snow that blew outside and covered the ground, before they went to A. and Patience’s truck to get the last few boxes in the backseat. They came back in and shivered.</p><p>                “We’d better get going,” A. suggested. “If we don’t head out now we’re going to get snowed in here, and I kind of don’t want to sleep in Tim’s bed.”</p><p>                “Oh, well, let me help gather our presents,” Patience said. “I’m sorry we can’t stay much longer, but I’d rather us not get snowed in today. We got big days ahead of us tomorrow !!”</p><p>                “And my ma is already mad that I didn’t stay to help slice more meat,” Sabrina claimed. “She wouldn’t want me missing out on more days that I could be working.”</p><p>                Everyone began to pick up their gifts and gave eachother hugs ( air hugs from Jane ) as they packed and bundled up to leave the house and get home before they were caught in a snowstorm, and they all had to sleep in the truck.</p><p>                “What do you think are in those other boxes ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                He jumped at the feeling of Jane’s lips against his cheek, before he looked up and laughed at the mistletoe that hung in their walkway.</p><p>                “I kind of forgot I hung it there,” he commented. “But, anyways ?”</p><p>                “Hm, I don’t know,” Jane responded. “Let’s go and look.”</p><p>                Both siblings went to the boxes that the twins had left under the tree, before they read the sticker label to see who it was from. Tim looked up at Jane as she immediately swallowed at the sight of the names.</p><p>                “To Jane, From Nanny, Melanoff, and Ruth”</p><p>                “I guess B. was right,” Jane sighed. “I don’t know if I’m ready to open it up yet.”</p><p>                “Well . . .” Tim started. “I’m going to open mine.”</p><p>                Jane nodded at his statement and sat back to watch Tim unwrap his present fromNanny, Melanoff, and Ruth, before he pulled out another briefcase that he could use for work, and once he opened it up, there were a few parenting books inside.</p><p>                “Hm, I think I’ll be needing these,” he claimed. “Do you want me to open up Taffeta’s ?”</p><p>                Jane pushed the present for their baby towards him, before she nodded and gave him permission to open it up. She was still unsure whether or not she should open hers up – it didn’t feel right to open it now, but it didn’t feel right to open it later either. It was a Christmas present after all.</p><p>                Tim unwrapped the box addressed to Taffeta from her Granny, Grandpop, and Aunt Ruth, before he opened the lid to see a white stuffed bear and a blanket that has little bears printed on it. He smiled and handed them both to Jane, but she hesitated to hold them both.</p><p>                “Should I ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Do you want to hold them ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I . . . I don’t know if I should,” she answered. “It still doesn’t feel right.”</p><p>                He took them back and nodded, before he reached forward and grabbed her shoulder.</p><p>                “It’s okay to not be ready yet,” he soothed. “It will all come in time.”</p><p>                Tim stood and picked up Taffeta’s gifts from that night, before he brought them up to the nusery.</p><p>                Jane followed suit, as she went and got a trash bag and came back up to pick up the wrapping paper that was crumpled up and thrown across the room. She heard a knock at the door before she went over to answer it. Her face dropped in disappointment to see the perfectly curled black curls, lips filled with silicon, big fake eyelashes she could fly away on.</p><p>                “Megan.”</p><p>                “Hi Jane, I just wanted to come by and tell you that you didn’t decorate your house for Christmas,” Megan pointed out. “If you look outside, you’ll see that many people did, so your house looks out of the ordinary.”</p><p>                “Who said I was trying to go for ordinary ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Well, I talked with Jillian, the head of the neighborhood team, and she said –“</p><p>                “Merry Christmas, Megan,” Jane interrupted. “Have a nice night.”</p><p>                Jane slammed the door in her face before she went back to cleaning her own house.</p><p>                “Was that Megan ?” she heard Tim ask from the stairs.</p><p>                “Yes,” Jane answered. “She came to tell me that we didn’t put any lights up.”</p><p>                Tim scoffed at the comment, because Megan really walked all the way over from her house to complain to them that their house didn’t fit in, in a snowstorm.</p><p>                “Well, doesn’t she need to get a life ?” he asked.</p><p>                Jane let off a ‘psh’ before she nodded.</p><p>                “You’re telling me,” she answered. “But if she wants hypothermia, then let her get it. Maybe those lip fillers will shrivel up and freeze right off.”</p><p>                Tim snicked at the comment, before he picked up the present that Jane didn’t open.</p><p>                “Where do you want me to put this ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Under the stairs,” Jane instructed. “I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually.”</p><p>                She looked up from the trash bag and looked to Tim before she bit her bottom lip.</p><p>                “But, uh, hey, Tim ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Yeah ?”</p><p>                “Can you still tell them I said thank you ? I wouldn’t feel right if they knew I got the presents, but I didn’t say anything about them.”</p><p>                “You got it.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Paro / A Nesting New Year</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕪 - 𝔼𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 :</p><p>ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕠 / 𝔸 ℕ𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℕ𝕖𝕨 𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                Jane held her stomach as she watched the ball to signify a new year continue to drop. There was still a good hour before the thing finally dropped all the way, but Tim was nowhere to be found. She didn’t hear the sink run, and she didn’t hear anything in the kitchen. He wasn’t at his desk. That meant he had to be upstairs. She went up to his room, to see that it still remained mostly untouched. Jane turned her head to see both Smokey and Grandpa, as they sat in front of the nursery door, and stared at whatever was inside.</p><p>                Smokey turned his head to Jane before he yowled at her to come and look at what they were looking at, and she indeed went over to see what their pets had their eyes on.</p><p>                Once she got to the door, she peeked inside to see Tim, in the crib, and he kneeded at the mattress as if he were one of the cats as they got ready for bed. He mumbled some things to himself that Jane couldn’t quite make out, before she stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised.</p><p>                “What are you doing ?” she asked.</p><p>                It seemed to take him off guard as he yelped at her question before he fell out the side of the round crib and onto the floor. Tim looked up at her with a blush that spread all across her face.</p><p>                “I was checking !!” he exclaimed. “I was checking to see if the crib was safe. It squeaks a little bit. I think we have to order another one, since this one’s squeaky. I wouldn’t want it to fall apart while Taffeta’s inside.”</p><p>                Jane let off a giggle at his concern, before she stepped in between the cats and looked around the room to see that he was in the process of rearranging clothes in the drawers, the stuffed animals had been reorganized into rows by color, the books on the shelf had been swapped out for new books, and there were two diaper bags in the process of being packed and ready to go.</p><p>                “Well, her crib is made for a baby, not a six foot seven tall, grown man,” she teased. “What are you really doing ? You said you were going to watch the ball drop with me.”</p><p>                Tim rubbed the back of his neck as he got up from the ground, before he dusted the back of his pants off.</p><p>                “I just want to be ready, you know,” he explained. “In case she comes early.”</p><p>                “Well, I’m only nineteen weeks along,” Jane soothed. “I don’t think she’s coming any time soon.”</p><p>                “But moms can go into labor at twenty – five weeks !!” Tim exclaimed. “What if you go into labor at twenty – five weeks ?”</p><p>                “I’ll hopefully be in good shape by the time A. and Patience’s wedding comes around,” she joked. “But even then, premature births aren’t that common. Maybe a few days before the due date, sure, but months ?”</p><p>                “But what if it does happen ?” Tim asked. “Then she’s going to be in the N.I.C.U for who knows how long and then we’re going to have to be ready before she comes. What if we <strong><em>aren’t</em></strong> ready for her to come yet and she <strong><em>does</em></strong> come ?”</p><p>                Jane cupped his cheeks and he held onto her hands.</p><p>                “Then, we take it in strides, poppa,” she reassured. “Besides, I’m the one that’s going to go through labor. All you’re going to need to do at that point is be there.”</p><p>                “I’m <strong><em>going</em></strong> to be there,” he reminded. “There’s nothing that’s going to stop me from being there.”</p><p>                “Good,” she said. “Now, let’s get this stuff picked up so we can go and watch the ball drop.”</p><p>                She went to the dresser to see he had organized outfits by seasons. Spring outfits were in the top drawer, summer outfits were in the second drawer, fall outfits were in the third drawer, and winter outfits were at the very bottom. She also noted that he had folded all the clothes as respective outfits, which was an organization tactic that she wouldn’t have thought of herself.</p><p>                “So, are you excited ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Of course I am,” she answered. “It’s kind of . . . nice, which is something I never thought I’d say about a baby again. I can’t wait to see her little face, and her little cheeks.”</p><p>                “And her little feet,” he added. “I have never seen anyone wear such tiny socks.”</p><p>                “Well, I mean, you do have four younger siblings,” Jane reminded. “You know how little baby feet are.”</p><p>                “Sometimes you forget after awhile,” he commented. “It’s nice to see little socks and little pajamas again. After trying for a baby with Queen for so long, and failing, it’s like I’ve finally arrived in the future, and yeah, it’s not exactly how I imagined it all, but it’s still . . . I wouldn’t want it any other way.”</p><p>                Jane smiled at the thought. She was glad she could help Tim out in one way, because divorce isn’t easy as far as she was aware, and she knew it had to have hurt to find out that Tim couldn’t have any kids that were truly his own, but the fact he was able to be a surrogate father figure to his biological niece was helpful for the both of them. It helped him achieve his dream of becoming a dad in a sense, and she wasn’t abandoned in this whole parenting thing.</p><p>                “Me either,” she agreed. “It’s nice to know Taffeta will have two parents in her life, instead of just one.”</p><p>                “I hope I can live up to the dad standard,” Tim commented. “I’d have to insert myself into her life like that and she ended up hating me . . . you don’t think she will, right ?”</p><p>                “Will what ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Hate me ?” Tim asked. “I mean, I don’t want her to hate me, but what if she tells me one day that she hates me, and that she wants to find her real dad.”</p><p>                Jane laughed, because good luck with that. She, herself, didn’t even know who Taffeta’s sperm donor was. The only thing she could hope for, is that she never, ever found out about Troy. She didn’t want that lowlife jerk to be a part of their baby’s life. It would be an absolute nightmare for Troy to come back and try to claim Taffeta as his own, simply because they were together at the time. As far as Jane was concerned, Tim was Taffeta’s dad – her poppa.</p><p>                “I don’t think there’s any chance in the world that she would hate you,” she soothed. “Unless you put her in a coal bin, but even if you wanted to, we don’t have one. You don’t have a heart to be hated.”</p><p>                “Queen would beg to differ,” Tim commented.</p><p>                “Well, Queen doesn’t see the good in anyone,” Jane responded. “I’m surprised she landed another fiancé after you. Maybe her fiancé is as big of a jerk as she is, though.”</p><p>                “Oh, speaking of Queen,” Tim started. “She posted her gender reveal on Instagram.”</p><p>                Jane stopped folding clothes and putting them away before she turned to face her brother, with a huge smile on her face.</p><p>                “Oh, I have <strong><em>got</em></strong> to see this,” she commented.</p><p>                “Wait, hold on,” Tim said. “What do you think she did for her gender reveal ?”</p><p>                Jane laughed again, as a thought from a few months ago made its way back to the front of her mind.</p><p>                “She didn’t do the paint on the belly thing ?” she responded. “Oh my god, she did. Didn’t she ?”</p><p>                Tim nodded as he flipped his phone around to show her a picture from Queen’s Pictogram of Queen and her new fiancé, with his hand off her stomach, and pink paint imprints on her stomach in the shape of a heart.</p><p>                Jane read the caption with wide eyes, as she soaked in every bit of information she could. Her caption was ‘We were blessed with a beautiful, healthy, growing baby girl !! Welcoming Whitney Monroe Kennicott – Johnson to the world, April Twenty – Ninth.’</p><p>                “Whitney Monroe ?” Jane asked. “That is the lamest baby name I have ever heard !!”</p><p>                “Well, nothing beats Taffeta Joy,” Tim agreed. “That baby is going to have a mouthful to say. She has two last names.”</p><p>                “Well, if Taffeta here was a boy, she would’ve had two middle names,” Jane reminded. “Keith Thaddeus Edward Willoughby.”</p><p>                Tim bit his lower lip and looked up in thought for a moment.</p><p>                “Yeah, I guess I am kind of glad we’re having a girl,” Tim commented. “Keith Thaddeus Edward Willoughby is a pretty long name for such a little kid. Well, I mean, so are Timothy Anthony Malachy Willoughby and Jane Florence Elizabeth Willoughby, but you didn’t have middle names until you got older, and even then, you still got to pick them. I stood in the bathroom mirror, whispering mine to myself so I wouldn’t forget.”</p><p>                “I like Taffeta Joy Willoughby,” Jane agreed. “I think it has a nice ring to it. It flows right off the tounge.”</p><p>                She stopped for a minute and held her stomach, as she let off a soft ‘oof’. She groaned quietly and held onto Tim’s shoulder.</p><p>                “What’s wrong ?” he asked.</p><p>                She shook her head before she walked to the egg shaped rocking chair and sat down, with her hands on her stomach.</p><p>                “Just . . . kicks,” she panted. “You want to come and feel them ?”</p><p>                Tim had a cheery smile come upon his face as he slid down on his knees in front of Jane, he held his hands out for her to guide and place on her stomach. Upon his hands touching her stomach, he felt a small little tap against his hand. He wondered if it was a little hand or a little foot, because he couldn’t quite tell the difference, considering they were both so tiny. He laid his cheek on Jane’s thigh and sighed quietly.</p><p>                “Doesn’t it feel magical ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Magical isn’t really the word I’d use to – ooo . . .” she groaned. “Describe it.”</p><p>                “There’s a little person growing in you !!” he exclaimed. “You have an entire, tiny human inside of you; what’s not magical about that ?”</p><p>                “The nausea, the cramps, the swelling, the leaking,” Jane listed. “Sometimes when I sneeze, I pee my pants a little bit.”</p><p>                “Ew !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>                “Well, what do you think those incontinence pads are for ?” Jane asked. “I can’t help it, because if I could choose to sneeze and <strong><em>not</em></strong> pee my pants I totally would.”</p><p>                “Is there any good parts about being pregnant ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Well, my vitamins do great things for my hair and nails,” she explained. “And I have an excuse to be fat right now.”</p><p>                “Oh, you’re not fat,” Tim reassured. “You’re pregnant and you’re beautiful.”</p><p>                Jane snorted before she rolled her eyes and shook her head.</p><p>                “God, don’t be so cheesy,” she shaded. “Pregnant, yes. Beautiful . . . meh – questionable.”</p><p>                “Don’t say that about yourself !!” he argued. “You are beautiful, pregnant or not.”</p><p>                “Have you seen my stretch marks ?” she asked. “I look like a zebra.”</p><p>                She lifted her tank top to expose her stomach which had pinkish – red, angry stretch marks beginning to form on them. They would only continue to get worse after she had Taffeta, but consider that her stomach had never been this big before, and her skin never stretched this much. It was different when a Thanksgiving meal would make her bloated and she had to unzip her pants.</p><p>                “They’re not that bad,” Tim claimed. “Queen had stretch marks, and they weren’t even from pregnancy.”</p><p>                “Well, Queen was bigger,” Jane reminded. “I’m not used to having these things.”</p><p>                “They add character to your body,” Tim explained. “Then, one day, you can look back when Taffeta’s going to school, and realize that kid used to be so little that they fit inside of you for nine months. You might miss these days, Jane.”</p><p>                He nuzzled his forehead against her stomach.</p><p>                “I know I will,” he said. “Nothing will ever replace the excitement I have for her arrival. One day, she’ll be out of your tummy, and she’ll never be this tiny, little lima bean on a picture again. She’ll be a real, growing, laughing, drooling baby, and eventually a real, growing, laughing, and maybe still drooling adult.”</p><p>                “Jeez, she really is going to be an adult one day,” Jane sighed. “It’s hard to think about the fact that our baby is going to grow up, and she won’t be this little thing anymore.”</p><p>                “I know, right ?” he asked. “I guess we just have to enjoy these days as they come, because we’ll look back on them and realize that this might be the easiest part.”</p><p>                “What do you think is the hard part ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Who knows ?” he responded. “Maybe she might want to shave her head completely and want to get pierced on every single part of her body.”</p><p>                “Well, what if she crashes her credit score and needs to crash on our couch as an adult,” Jane teased. “Then she’ll be farting up our couch when she’s forty.”</p><p>                Tim laughed at the idea of their adult daughter, living off their couch. Look, they will never refuse her a home, but hopefully she’s better with money than that. It’s one of the reasons they’re keeping all the money a secret. Money doesn’t come this easy to everyone, and they still had to work incredibly hard to get to where they were in this moment. It takes hard work to be successful, no matter how much money you have. Self – made billionaires had to grind their way up to the top, just like Melanoff. The Willoughbys were an amazing linage all the way up until their parents, but they still had to work for everything they had.</p><p>                “Hopefully he doesn’t do that,” he commented. “She’s going to be great. I can already feel it in my bones.”</p><p>                “I hope so too,” Jane agreed. “Maybe she might be a fashion mogul, or a record label tycoon.”</p><p>                “Or she’ll be an adventurer that scours the planet, and finds the Fountain of Youth,” Tim pondered. “Or she’ll be an artist that paints the entire inside of the Smithsonian with an original work, like Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel.”</p><p>                “Hopefully she doesn’t go blind while doing so,” Jane commented. “I wouldn’t know what to do if she ended up being impaired in some way – like a parapalegic, or deaf. I mean, it’s not like I have anything against those people, but still, it’s going to be a huge adjustment.”</p><p>                “Well, yeah,” Tim agreed. “But we’ll get through it. We might have to invest in speech therapy or a cochlear implant, or even wheelchairs and ramps for the house, but as long as she’s alive, loved, and happy – that’s what really matters.”</p><p>                Jane nodded before she sighed and touched her stomach. She felt another few kicks and soaked up the amount of love that came from the sensation, as uncomfortable as it may be.</p><p>                “What if she doesn’t come out looking like me ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “She’ll still be a cutie,” Tim reassured. “She has to look a little bit like you, at the very least. You’re still her momma. Maybe she might be able to grow a mustache more glorious than you, but still, she’ll get it from you.”</p><p>                “What if she can’t grow a mustache ?”</p><p>                “Welcome to the club.”</p><p>                Jane brushed Tim’s hair back from his forehead and examined his hairline. She scrunched her eyebrows and let off a soft ‘Hm’.</p><p>                “What is it ?” he asked.</p><p>                “You know, I noticed in the old paintings that most of the Willoughby men were starting to go bald at our age,” Jane started. “Your hairline hasn’t seemed to budge in the slightest. Do you think that’s what happened instead of getting a mustache, for you anyway ?”</p><p>                “Oh, come on,” Tim said. “The Barnabys have great hair <strong><em>and</em></strong> mustaches.”</p><p>                Jane snickered at his comment before she shook her head.</p><p>                “Don’t tell them I told you, but both of them are starting to get bald spots in the back of their heads,” she whispered. “A. covers his up with his hair, and B. went to get hair restoration surgery. I think A.’s planning on getting the same thing done after the wedding.”</p><p>                “Is that why B.’s been wearing a bunch of hats lately ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                Jane smiled and nodded.</p><p>                “I don’t think Patience even knows,” Jane commented. “But if she does, I’m surprised she hasn’t said anything, or made him get it before the wedding.”</p><p>                “That kind of stuff costs a lot of money,” Tim explained. “And considering that it’s a cosmetic procedure, I doubt they’d want to spend their money on that, rather than the wedding. A. still has to take us out tuxedo shopping. He’s going to that place that you texted him a few months back, because their suits are fitted. B. says that it’ll smooth out all the squishy bits of his body.”</p><p>                “He’s actually gotten into keto, at Sabrina’s insistence,” Jane commented. “So far he’s been doing good, but I do get a text every morning of how much he hates green smoothies.”</p><p>                “He’s also uploading pictures to his Pictogram of him going to crossfit with A.,” Tim commented. “He’s trying to get in shape before the wedding. He’s hoping he gets rid of the muffin top within the next two months.”</p><p>                “Speaking of A. and doing things,” Jane interrupted. “I caught him shopping for like some super tall heels the other day, and they didn’t seem to be Patience’s shoe size.”</p><p>                “Were they too big ?” Tim questioned.</p><p>                “They were like his size,” Jane responded. “I was going to talk to him but he ran away and acted like he didn’t see me. That guy is hiding something.”</p><p>                “What do you think it is ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “I don’t know, but it’s sure suspicious.” Jane answered.</p><p>                “That is suspicious. You don’t think he’s cheating on Patience, do you ?”</p><p>                “Maybe he cross – dresses or does drag ?”</p><p>                “Maybe, but why would he hide that from us ?”</p><p>                “No idea.”</p><p>                Tim got up from the ground and lifted Jane up from the seat.</p><p>                “Do you want to go and watch the ball drop ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Finally,” she commented. “Let’s go. I got some sparkling grape juice in the fridge, and wine glasses in the cupboards so we can cheers into the new year.”</p><p>                “I wish you would’ve let me buy those party hats and horns,” Tim pouted. “Or we could’ve gotten those things that you pull the string and it shoots confetti.”</p><p>                “I don’t want to find a bunch of confetti in the house weeks after today,” Jane reminded. “And I am not going to wear one of those party hats.”</p><p>                “If Taffeta were to ask you to wear a party hat, would you do it ?” he asked.</p><p>                The both walked down the stairs, and Jane tugged the string that held the Christmas’ mistletoe from the chandelier off. She rolled the string up in her hand as if it were a fishing line ( well, it was a fishing line, but that’s not the point ) before she went into the kitchen and set it on the counter. She got the wine glasses from the cabinet and the grape juice from the fridge, before she headed back to the living room and sat on the couch next to Tim.</p><p>                “We still have thirty minutes before the ball drops,” he said. “Do you want to watch an episode of ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’ ?”</p><p>                Jane nodded, before she lifted his arm over herself, and they curled up into their default cuddle position as she laid her head on his chest.</p><p>                They clicked through the channels on the T.V to their trash T.V channel, to be greeted by a news report. The woman on the screen motioned to the television screen behind herself.</p><p>                “Breaking news, ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’ had been cancelled after six seasons worth of southern fights and housewife brawls after Brandi Buchanan passed away from an infection due to a breast implant popping and going unnoticed for months. A viewing ceremony will be held in the local church and will be streamed on the internet. Her family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers. But for now, please enjoy an episode of ‘Kids and Crowns’.”</p><p>                “Are you serious ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “That must be so sad for her family !!” Tim exclaimed.</p><p>                “She died because her <em>boob</em> <strong><em>popped</em></strong> ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “That’s what you’re concerned about ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Okay, but be serious, her implant popped and she didn’t even notice ?” Jane asked. “That is such a dumb way to go out. She had to have felt something to signify that something was wrong. A body doesn’t just soak up silicone with no problem !!”</p><p>                Tim simply sighed and shook his head before he turned his attention to the T.V, to see another bug – eyed southern woman with big teeth, as she talked about her daughter competing in beauty pageants since she was four months old, and how she always went back home with a crown.</p><p>                “We’re never putting Taffeta in beauty pageants, right ?” he asked.</p><p>                “If she wants to when she gets older,” Jane commented. “But I don’t see why moms want to put their babies out there for show. Most of them are bald and drooly, like weird gremlins.”</p><p>                “What if Taffeta came out bald ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “None of us came out bald,” Jane reminded. “I doubt our baby is going to be the first Willoughby to come out completely hairless.”</p><p>                “What if she looks like a weird fur monster ?” he teased.</p><p>                “Then, I’m going to have rug burn between my thighs for a long time, aren’t I ?” she laughed.</p><p>                Fireworks began to pop and bang outside and the city was wild with lights, with one large beacon beaming from the middle. Tim switched back to the ball drop to see the ball had touched down into the new year. Party horns and cheering was heard from the Wolfe house and they were sure that the Vinderstromm – McMilks were celebrating in Times Square with all the other party people. Their phones buzzed with messages from their friends and family, as they were told ‘Happy New Year’ from everyone. Patience even sent them a picture of her and A.’s sheepdog in a party hat with the caption “Happy New Year from A., Patience, and Nugget”.</p><p>                Tim smiled at the picture before he felt a soft kiss on his cheek, and a soft breath on his face.</p><p>                “Happy New Year,” Jane said. “A kiss for good luck.”</p><p>                He pushed her and laughed before he reached forward and grabbed the grape juice and wine glasses. He poured himself and Jane a glass of the carbonated juice and they clinked glasses.</p><p>                “To the New Year,” he toasted. “To A. getting married, B. hopefully getting with Sabrina sometime this year, and to the healthy birth of our daughter.”</p><p>                “I couldn’t have it any other way,” Jane commented. “To the New Year.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Mimeomia Bachelors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕪 - ℕ𝕚𝕟𝕖 :</p><p>𝕄𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕒 𝔹𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕣𝕤</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                “So, are you guys ready to get fitted with your suits ?” A. asked from the driver’s seat.</p><p>                Isaac couldn’t come yet again, but he had gone with A. the previous week to get his suit so he would have it fitted and ready before the wedding, so he could have more time with his husband in New Mexico.</p><p>                “Yeah, of course I am,” B. answered. “My muffin top is nearly almost gone, I might wear a waist trainer to smooth out the edges so I can look fine for the wedding. Sucks that I have to walk with Jane though, and Tim gets to walk with Sabrina.”</p><p>                “Look, I would switch it around but my hands are tied,” A. reasoned. “And by ‘my hands are tied’, I mean Patience finally hasn’t changed her mind in the past two weeks, so I have a feeling if I don’t mention it, then she won’t bring it up again. Please, guys, just let me have a win.”</p><p>                They pulled into the side of the street in front of the suit shop named ‘Dulce Vida’, and A. took a few quarters from his pocket before he put them into the parking meter. His phone buzzed and he held it up to his hear.</p><p>                “Hello ?” he asked.</p><p>                His face turned a bright red as he motioned for his brothers to go inside. They watched from the window to see their brother as he paced around outside and talked nervously to whoever was on his phone. The phone call lasted quite awhile before A. looked at his phone and groaned. He finally came back inside, as he huffed out some air and shook his head.</p><p>                “What was that all about ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “Work,” he answered. “They want me to come in late tonight.”</p><p>                “To the mechanic shop ?” Tim asked. “I thought you guys closed at four thirty, and it’s currently five o’clock. Did you get a second job ?”</p><p>                The twin simply laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.</p><p>                “This wedding thing isn’t cheap,” he teased. “Anyways, let’s go sign in for our appointment.”</p><p>                “Where are you working ?” B. asked.</p><p>                His twin ignored him as he went up to the front desk and signed in with his name to let the receptionist know that he was here to get Tim and B. fitted with their suits.</p><p>                “Oh, A., you’re back with your brothers ?” the receptionist asked.</p><p>                “Yeah,” A. answered. “Is Devin in today ?”</p><p>                “Yes, he’ll be right with you guys,” the receptionist answered. “Please have a seat over there.”</p><p>                They all sat on the leather couch and A. picked up a fashion magazine for men, as he leaned back on the couch and flipped through the pages.</p><p>                “A., you never read,” Tim noted. “You’re hiding something.”</p><p>                “This is an interesting magazine,” A. ignored. “They did an interview with Claude Beauchamp, and he makes some high quality suits. My suit is actually a Claude Beauchamp, but we might have to settle with a Joaquin Delemeux for you guys – not that Delemeux suits are bad either !!”</p><p>                “Stop ignoring me !!” B. scolded. “Where do you work ?”</p><p>                “Why does it matter ?” A. asked. “It’s putting food on the table and paying for my wedding.”</p><p>                “Is it illegal ?” Tim asked. “I don’t want you getting in trouble, because you need a little extra money. Jane and I can help where we can !!”</p><p>                “It’s not illegal,” A. responded.</p><p>                He then mumbled something quiet and quick under his breath.</p><p>                “But we can handle our own money, Tim,” A. insisted. “Ah, look, there’s Devin now.”</p><p>                They looked to see a man in a sleek white suit and he held his arms out as he caught sight of A..</p><p>                “If it isn’t A. Willoughby !!” he greeted. “And I’m assuming these are your brothers.”</p><p>                “Yup !!” A. responded. “This is my second groomsman, Tim, and my best man, B.”</p><p>                “A. and B. ?” Devin asked. “Do you folks call them that because they’re twins ?”</p><p>                Tim shrugged and nodded. To put it simply, yes, that was the exact reason why. Tim didn’t feel the need to delve deep into the story, about how both twins had the same first name, and that their parents never bothered to give them different ones. He didn’t need to ramble about how they used to be named ‘Barnaby Linguini Rotini Willoughby’ and ‘Barnaby Ravioli Fusilli Willoughby’, and how they wanted to name themselves ‘Bill’ and ‘Joe’, or that the A. and B. stood for ‘Alan’ and ‘Benson’ respectively. The only people that really needed to know were family, like Patience, Taffeta, and one day, maybe Sabrina.</p><p>                “Well, isn’t this one a tall drink of water ?” Devin asked.</p><p>                He walked up to Tim and picked up his hand.</p><p>                “Nice watch, but you don’t have a ring,” Devin noted. “You got a girlfriend ?”</p><p>                “I – I’m divorced,” Tim responded. “But I’m also not looking, and straight for the most part.”</p><p>                 “You can’t lie to me, Tim,” Devin claimed. “The shiny hair, the ironed shirt, the clean shaven face.”</p><p>                Devin paused to adjust the collar of Tim’s polo.</p><p>                “You take care of yourself far too well to not have a lady around,” he commented. “How long have you two been together ? I’m assuming it’s still in the early stages, since you’re still trying to impress the doll.”</p><p>                Tim felt himself begin to sweat at the interrogation, because he didn’t care to impress Jane, but it wasn’t like she’d ever let him leave the house when he looked like garbage. She cared too much about his appearance and his dignity to let him leave the house when he looked disheveled.</p><p>                “She’s my sister,” Tim corrected. “And she cares about me.”</p><p>                “They’re in a ‘platonic partnership’,” A. explained. “And my sister’s having a baby, so he’s there to help her out with the new baby and everything.”</p><p>                “Oh, I see,” Devin commented. “So you still have a woman that nags you to get ready every day ? Wouldn’t it feel nice to just have a day where you can be a guy, and not have to shower, shave or change ?”</p><p>                Tim shrugged, but it was simply to get the conversation over with. He cared about his appearance too. Every day he had to wake up and get ready, he needed the routine. If he didn’t have set routine when he was home, he would spiral. He made sure he did, and would plan his weeks out in a planner, just so he knew what he had to be doing within the week, so he could keep his mind off of free time, and the times Jane wasn’t home.</p><p>                “Let’s get you men fitted in the suit style that A. here picked for you guys,” Devin said.</p><p>                He led the Willoughby brothers inside the dressing rooms, and put both Tim and B. in their own separate dressing rooms. Devin tended to B. first, and left Tim with A..</p><p>                “So, Tim,” A. started. “There’s something very important that I have to tell you.”</p><p>                “Yeah, what is it ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “So Patience, she uh . . .” A. paused with a sigh. “She wants to have an open bar.”</p><p>                “Oh ?” Tim asked. “W – Well, why are you telling me this ? I haven’t even thought about drinking in months. I’m doing really well right now. I – I want to keep it together for my family.”</p><p>                Tim yelped as A. grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him close, as he squinted up at his older brother. His eyes pierced right into Tim, as if he punctured a few holes in the thoughts he had towards his alcohol tolerance.</p><p>                But Tim hadn’t thought of it in a long time !! Not since he moved in with Jane and found out that Jane was pregnant with Taffeta !! He really was doing well . . . but if he didn’t even have to pay for it . . . what was really stopping him from getting some. Vegas had money in the way of it, because while they were billionaires, he and Jane were still very conscious about where they spent their money. If the bar was open, and free, and ran by someone who didn’t know him, he could easily just get some. He was stressed, about work, the baby; one glass wouldn’t hurt.</p><p>                Tim shook his head, because he knew that one glass would hurt, because when he got boozed up, one glass turned into another one . . . and another, until he got absolutely faded and caused havoc around him. Jane would be so disappointed in him. She would want to kick him out, and he would lose everything in just one night. He didn’t know what he’d do when he was like that. What if he got into a fight ? What if he hurt someone ?</p><p>                No.</p><p>                “Don’t you worry about me, A.,” Tim reassured. “I promise you that I’m good for it. I really don’t want to go back to drinking. I’ll stay by Jane the entire night. I mean, neither of us can drink anyway !! I think staying around a sober person would be good for me.”</p><p>                “Tim, you’re my brother, but listen . . .” A. started. “I don’t trust you, not after some of the shit you did to the family when you were like that, and I swear to god if you hurt my wife, or our family, I will <strong><em>end</em></strong> you. Got it ?”</p><p>                Tim gulped as he felt A.’s hand loosen on his shirt collar. He nodded and put his hands on A.’s shoulders. Talk about crouching tiger, hidden dragon. If that was his brother showing restraint, he might as well bend over, put his head between his legs, and kiss his ass goodbye if he got drunk at the wedding.</p><p>                “Good,” A. said.</p><p>                He let go of Tim and dusted his hands off.</p><p>                “Hey, if you got to grab me and nearly toss me around this room like a ragdoll, I think you should tell me about this whole secret job you have,” Tim commented.</p><p>                “Are you trying to blackmail me ?” A. asked. “I wouldn’t take it there if I were you.”</p><p>                “Blackmail isn’t the term I’d use for it,” Tim commented. “It’s simply getting even. You can’t just do that to people, you did grab me after all.”</p><p>                “I’m going to tell you what I told B.,” A. claimed. “I’m paying my bills and getting this wedding paid for. I can do it on my own, and I’m doing well for myself.”</p><p>                The door opened up to Tim’s dressing room, and Devin came in with B. right next to him.</p><p>                The twin walked in as if he was strutting on a catwalk, so he could model the suit as the fabric clung to him to show off every curve of his body.</p><p>                “Your brother here is wearing a Joaquin Delemeux suit design that had walked the Paris runway about five years ago,” Devin explained. “So while its out of style,you could call it vintage to add extra charm to the wedding, and people would still be psyched about the suits.”</p><p>                “And the suit isn’t even the best part !!” B. exclaimed. “I mean, I can’t really open it up right now, but I’m also in a waist trainer, so everything is smoothed out, and you don’t see the fat I still have. I feel like I look like the hottest weasel in the group.”</p><p>                “A weasel ?” Tim laughed. “I mean, you could’ve went with a fox or a minx, but okay – weasel.”</p><p>                “I think Sabrina is going to be so impressed,” A. added. “You’ve been doing crossfit and sticking to your keto diet, even though you hate the green smoothies.”</p><p>                “Those smoothies taste like wet grass,” B. commented. “Last I checked, I’m not a cow or a horse, so I’m not a huge fan of drinking what tastes like lawn clippings.”</p><p>                “Speaking of horses, did you guys know that Brandi Buchanan from ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’ passed away last month ? Now one of mine and Jane’s favorite shows have been cancelled.” Tim claimed.</p><p>                “What happened to her ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “Her boob popped and she didn’t notice,” Devin explained. “What a way for a queen to go out, I’ll tell you that. It’s why most people with plastic surgery aren’t quite recommended to go on planes, because their implants expand and can pop to cause leakage into their bodies.”</p><p>                “I guess now we’re going to have to watch ‘Welcome To Mormontown’ past its opening credits,” Tim commented.</p><p>                “Oh, that show actually isn’t that bad,” A. agreed. “It kind of reflects how sheltered people can be. Patience was pretty sheltered when it came to certain things when I first met her, she had never had any sort of fancy coffee drinks outside of a latte once. She didn’t know what an Irish coffee was.”</p><p>                “She didn’t ?” Devin asked. “That’s one of my favorite drinks !!”</p><p>                Tim furrowed his eyebrows at his brother. It’s hard to think about how just a few minutes ago, he basically pinned Tim to the mirror and threatened to murder him, now he was talking about reality T.V and acted like nothing had just happened. Maybe it was because his disorder, Tim was like that when he was high. Mainly because he could forget what happened for weeks at a time when he was on a bender.</p><p>                One bender, he started at home and three weeks later, was found passed out in a bar all the way in New Jersey. Melanoff had to take the day off and bring him back home. It was a quiet ride, except for when Melanoff told him that he was disappointed in Tim. He had every right to be, but since Tim was an angry addict, he didn’t listen to a word of it, as he went home to get drunk and high again. Queen was angry, and she spent both their paychecks and then some at a casino. Jane went over that night to help Tim detox and talk to him about getting sober . . . he did some things he still regretted that night.</p><p>                Why did Jane want him to be a part of Taffeta’s life again ?</p><p>                Why did Jane care about him ?</p><p>                “Tim ?”</p><p>                He snapped out of thought and shook his head to see that attention was focused on him.</p><p>                “Do you want to get fitted with your suit, darling ?” Devin asked.</p><p>                “Oh, yeah !!” Tim answered. “Sure !!”</p><p>                “Let me go and get it from the racks,” Devin said.</p><p>                He then left the room, which left the Willoughby brothers alone in the room.</p><p>                “What’s wrong ?” B. asked. “You totally spaced out there for a good few minutes.”</p><p>                “I . . .” he started.</p><p>                Tim looked at A. and felt a panicked chill roll around his body, at the fact that if he said the wrong thing, it could set him off. He didn’t want to do that, he already seemed to be in a bad mood due to the fact he had to work his second job that night.</p><p>                “I guess I’m just nevous,” Tim said.</p><p>                “About the suit ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Jane,” Tim responded.</p><p>                “Is she alright ?” B. asked. “Is she sick ? Is Taffeta sick ?”</p><p>                “No, they’re doing okay,” Tim reassured. “Just, sometimes, I feel like I’m going to mess it all up. She’s put up with me for so long, and she’s a good woman, regardless of what she says. Sometimes, I just feel like I forced myself back into her life, and into Taffeta’s.”</p><p>                “What makes you think that ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “Isn’t she happy to have you around ?” A. questioned.</p><p>                “Well, yeah, of course, I know I make her happy now,” Tim justified. “The thing is, I don’t know if I’m always going to make her happy. I want to be this close with her for as long as I can be, because she makes me happy, but sometimes I’m not sure if we’re actually happy with eachother, or just the company. I mean, I’m happy with her, but I never know how she feels, since, you know, she thinks feelings are gross.”</p><p>                “I’m sure she would’ve kicked you out already if she didn’t want you around,” A. teased. “On top of that, you guys sleep in the same bed together, she could easily tell you to get the hell back to your own room.”</p><p>                Tim managed a laugh before he nodded. A. had a point. Jane could, and he knew she definitely would tell him to kick rocks if she didn’t want him there.</p><p>                He was lucky.</p><p>                He didn’t deserve her.</p><p>                The door opened back up and Devin came back in with the grey suit Tim was going to wear.</p><p>                “Okay, Tim, we’re going to need you to get down to your underwear,” Devin instructed. “Are you wearing boxers or - ?”</p><p>                “Briefs,” Tim clarified. “I mean, with fitted suits, you kind of have to, or else the fabric gets all bundled up.”</p><p>                “I am so upset that you’re straight,” Devin joked. “Most straight guys don’t think about those things.”</p><p>                Tim shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck.</p><p>                “Well, I wear suits a lot,” Tim explained. “I’m an esquire.”</p><p>                “Professional man,” Devin complimented. “People must take you really seriously around the office with a job like that.”</p><p>                Tim couldn’t help but to smile as Devin helped him into the suit that hugged onto every part of him. He was pretty respected at work, but then again, people weren’t really supposed to give him much crap about anything, and contrary to his gentle and rather passive nature at home, he was quite the opposite at work, but that’s simply how it had to be. His job was ruthless, and he had to be too, or else he’d get eaten alive.</p><p>                Devin then turned him to face the mirror, as the adjusted the last few parts of the suit too.</p><p>                “Yeah, I could totally see you walking down the aisle in that !!” A. exclaimed.</p><p>                “You and Sabrina would look awesome next to eachother !!” B. agreed. “I mean, not as awesome as how me and Sabrina would look next to eachother, but you get the idea. A., are you sure that we can’t pull some strings and I get to walk with Sabrina ?”</p><p>                “Patience made up her mind for once !!” A. exclaimed. “I’m not going to make her change it. The wedding is only four months away, and we don’t have time to start over completely.”</p><p>                “Damn it,” B. whispered. “Well, I tried.”</p><p>                “You’ll get to dance with her at the reception,” A. comforted. “Just don’t get too handsy, I don’t want Patience’s grandparents to faint.”</p><p>                “You have to trust me more than that !!” B. exclaimed.</p><p>                Tim felt himself sweat at the comment. Well, more at the idea of trust. He had to show A. that he could be trusted at the wedding, which gave him all the more reason to behave in Las Vegas. Maybe it would be a good training stage, since the booze wasn’t free in Vegas, and he planned on staying right next to Jane the entire time. The thing about the wedding was, the bar was open, and he couldn’t force Jane to stay next to him.</p><p>                They soon changed from their suits and checked them out, before they got back into the truck with the suits.</p><p>                “Do you guys want to go out to eat ?” A. asked. “We can go to Tasty Tortellini’s or Ham Bros., wherever you guys want to go. I think this calls for a celebratory meal, to end a guys day out.”</p><p>                “Oh, Sabrina invited me over to her place for dinner later,” B. commented. “I should probably get home. Her mom is making brisket tonight, and Sabrina really wants me to try it.”</p><p>                “Did you ever end up asking her out ?” Tim questioned.</p><p>                “No !!” B. squeaked. “B – But, I’ve been planning on it !!”</p><p>                “Patience said that some guy has been visiting her booth at the Farmer’s Market every Sunday,” A. teased. “I would visit Patience all the time, and we’re getting married in a few months. Don’t whine if some farmer jerk ends up swooping in to take the girl of your dreams. He’s making moves, and you haven’t even gotten to the starting line.”</p><p>                “He has a point, B.,” Tim added. “Nice guys don’t finish last if they never make the moves.”</p><p>                “Ugh, I just don’t want to rush it !!” B. exclaimed. “I don’t want to be a creep.”</p><p>                They passed by the liquor store at the end of Sixth Street. It looked absolutely hideous during the day. Worn out, busted up, there was a trash bag in place of a window. It seemed nearly abandoned, except that there were still people going in and out. The faces never seemed to change, and Tim recognized nearly every single one.</p><p>                “He still works there, you know ?” A. said.</p><p>                “Who ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Skip.”</p><p>                Tim’s heart pounded at that name. That was the name of his ex – dealer, or at least what he went by. Skip had been his supplier and one of the biggest bad influences he ever met in his life. He was a senior in highschool when Tim was a sophomore, and that’s when the problems began. The one time Tim snuck out to go to a senior party, was when he first started to ruin his own life. The wine coolers were sweet, and with enough wine coolers, people make absolutely terrible decisions. His just so happened to be that powdery, white nose sugar.</p><p>                “He still . . .” Tim whispered. “Uhm . . . ahem . . .s – sucks to be him, I guess.”</p><p>                “Yeah,” A. commented. “Really does. Doesn’t it ?”</p><p>                “A., don’t bring it up again,” B. scolded. “Tim’s past all that shit now. We don’t need to constantly focus on it. We don’t dwell on all your stuff.”</p><p>                “Y – Yeah,” Tim defended. “I haven’t even thought about that place in months. I have bigger things to focus on now. I have Jane, Taffeta, my job, the house, friends that aren’t complete and total addicts.”</p><p>                “Good,” A. said. “I really hope so.”</p><p>                “Good,” B. agreed. “Now, let’s drop Tim back off at his place, and head back to mine. Maybe you can help me pick out an outfit to wear to Sabrina’s.”</p><p>                “And help you on some pickup lines, you dodo,” A. teased. “I can give you a masterclass in charisma.”</p><p>                “Wait, quick question,” Tim started. “How do you know that jerk still works there ?”</p><p>                His brother seemed to tense up and grip the steering wheel at the question. A. didn’t peel his eyes away from the road as he turned down the street to get to Rosevalle.</p><p>                “I go that way to get to my second job, sometimes,” A. claimed. “Sometimes I go in there to get jerky, or a soda, to keep me awake for the job.”</p><p>                They stopped out in front of the house, and B. allowed Tim to get out and get his suit to put into his closet for safe keeping. The closet and dresser were the most touched places of his room anyway, most of the other stuff had been relatively unbothered since they moved.</p><p>                He waved goodbye to his brothers, before he went back inside to hear Jane as she washed the dishes in the sink. The cats both greeted him with meows and purrs as he bent down to scratch their heads. Tim put his suit on the couch for the time being before he went into the kitchen.</p><p>                “Is it supposed to be sunny today ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                She looked outside to see the clouds that hung over the city, before she raised an eyebrow.</p><p>                “You were just outside,” she said.</p><p>                “Oh no, I was just checking to see if it was, since you never wash the dishes.”</p><p>                She snorted before she shook her head. Jane pulled her hand out of the dish water, before she flicked it at Tim and it splattered on his shirt.</p><p>                “You jerk,” she teased. “How’d it go ?”</p><p>                “It went great,” Tim lied. “I met the guy that runs the suit shop, and he’s really nice. He knows a lot about suits, so it was nice to have someone to geek with about high fashion.”</p><p>                “Isn’t that B.’s thing ?” Jane questioned.</p><p>                Tim nodded before he came up behind Jane and put his hands on her stomach, before he felt a soft tap against her stomach. He smiled at the sensation and leaned into Jane.</p><p>                “Seems our little lima bean is awake,” he commented. “Was she active all day ?”</p><p>                Jane nodded as she put the last plate into their dishwasher and slid the rack back inside.</p><p>                “For the mot part,” she answered. “She really kicked up a storm. It’s like she’s playing a one man game of soccer in there.”</p><p>                “I guess she’s more of a jumping bean now,” Tim laughed. “Maybe she might be a soccer player when she grows up.”</p><p>                “Or maybe a basketball player to rival her poppa out on the courts,” Jane joked. “She sure loves to move a lot, she might be so fast that you won’t even be able to block her.”</p><p>                “We’ll see about <strong><em>that</em></strong>,” Tim commented.</p><p>                He sighed and looked at their reflection in the window, before he gave a smile. It was as if, when he was around Jane and Taffeta, everything was alright in the world. He was going to be okay. What A. said back at the suit shop didn’t even matter, because <strong><em>he was going to be okay</em></strong>.</p><p>                “Did I ever tell you how lucky I feel ?” he asked</p><p>                “Oh god, cheesy,” she giggled.</p><p>                “As cheesy as it may be, sometimes I feel like I should tell you out loud.”</p><p>                Jane pushed Tim’s chin to the side playfully as she smiled up at him.</p><p>                “Well . . . I guess it’s kind of nice to hear out loud sometimes.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>❇ || Howdy guys !! I'm sorry my uploads haven't been as consistent, but I recently got a job !! My writing time has been crunched, but I do promise you guys that I have been writing and plan on continuing this fic, and maybe a few others for awhile !! Writing is my oasis, and my pleasure to give to you !! ❤❤</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. A Game of Gnoissienne</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕪 :</p><p>𝔸 𝔾𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝔾𝕟𝕠𝕚𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕟𝕖</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                “Where are we going ?” A. asked. “Why’d you put these bags on our heads ?”</p><p>                “You know, if you were getting kidnapped, your kidnapper would drop you off because you ask so many damn questions,” B. teased. “Be patient.”</p><p>                “You know we’re not good at that ‘patience’ thing !!” Patience herself exclaimed. “This whole thing gives me the jitters !! I can’t wait to see where we’re goin’ !! I hope it’s a club, or a fancy restaurant – oh, jeez, it sure is loud out here. Are we at the airport ?”</p><p>                Jane and B. removed the soft, cloth bags from their heads to reveal the private jet they had rented for their entire trip to Las Vegas. It was the last she – bang before A. and Patience tied the knot, before Jane and Tim had the baby, before everyone’s life would soon change in one way or another.</p><p>                “Oh my goodness !!” Patience exclaimed. “A jet ? Are we gonna see New York from all the way up ?”</p><p>                “Well, not exactly,” Jane started.</p><p>                She opened her purse and pulled out their two plane tickets ( that were stamped and approved by the airport security, of course ), before she handed them both to Patience and A..</p><p>                Patience gasped before she grabbed onto a part of her hair. She looked up at everyone else before she locked eyes with her soon to be husband, and both of them beamed and started to giggle.</p><p>                “We’re . . . We’re . . .” she started.</p><p>                “We’re going to Vegas !!” he exclaimed.</p><p>                “But wait,” Patience paused. “We didn’t pack a thing !!”</p><p>                Sabrina then came out with one of the cargo loaders before she pat Patience on the back.</p><p>                “We got you covered,” Sabrina reassured. “When you guys went and got your nails done, I packed you two your bags, and I talked to A.’s boss at the mechanic shop about him getting the week off.”</p><p>                “And I talked to Patience’s parents so they could get someone else to run the booth at the farmer’s market,” Tim added. “So you guys are clear for the entire week !! Anyways, do you guys want to take some dumb pictures with the plane.”</p><p>                “Uh, you guys go ahead,” A. encouraged. “I have to talk to my second boss really quick about getting a week off, before I get on that plane.”</p><p>                “Damn it, I totally forgot about your second job !!” Tim exclaimed. “I can do it so you can –“</p><p>                “No !!” A. shouted.</p><p>                He then cleared his throat and his face heated into a deep, rather embarrassed blush. He shook his head and took his phone out, before he motioned for everyone to go ahead to the plane.</p><p>                “Can we hurry though ?” Jane asked. “My feet are getting so tired.”</p><p>                “You can sit inside if you want, Jane,” Tim suggested. “I mean, you’re due a little over two weeks from now, and I know how hard that is on you. There’s sodas and waters in the plane, and you can serve yourself while everyone else takes pictures out here.”</p><p>                “Can you come with me ?” she asked.</p><p>                “They might need me to take some pictures,” Tim sighed. “But once everyone’s done out here, I promise I’ll sit right across from you the entire time. I even brought Travel Jumble and a deck of cards, so maybe we can play a few rounds of those while we’re on the plane.”</p><p>                “I wish I brought our travel checkers,” Jane whined. “I love travel checkers.”</p><p>                “Well, a few games of donacheck is second best,” Tim chided. “Maybe if everyone decides not to get drunk as soon as they get onto the plane, we can convince them to play with us.”</p><p>                Jane snorted at the notion. It was sure going to be different being one of the only sober people on the trip. She wasn’t going to deprive everyone else of drinking, just because she couldn’t. She knew she wouldn’t want them to do that to her if she were in their shoes.</p><p>                “Go and get some rest, you’ve been standing almost all day,” Tim soothed. “I promise we won’t take forever.”</p><p>                “You better not, you dodo,” she teased.</p><p>                Jane playfully poked the tip of Tim’s nose before she was helped onto the jet by one of the cargo loaders.</p><p>                After a few minutes of taking pictures and A. talking to his other boss, they had delayed the flight by about twenty minutes. They all finally settled down in the plane, and Jane had poured Tim a cup of root beer, while everyone else decided to pour themselves mixed drinks ( rum and colas, whiskey and ginger ales, you get the idea ). They sat through the safety speech and buckled into their swivel seats for take off. They were brought foods from the airport that they had wanted ( A. got fried chicken and macaroni, Patience got a giant cinnamon roll from the bakery, B. and Sabrina both got barbequed brisket, Jane got pancakes, while Tim got waffles ), so they would have fuel for the next five and a half hours. Soon, they took off and were in the air.</p><p>                “So, which hotel are we staying in ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Is it the Bellagio ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “Not quite,” Jane claimed. “The Mirage.”</p><p>                “Oh, thank god,” B. sighed. “I wanted to stay anywhere except for the Venetian. Bad memories.”</p><p>                “What happened there ?” Sabrina asked.</p><p>                “B. got really drunk with us on Jane’s twenty first birthday, and he ended up getting the worst hangover I’ve ever seen someone experience,” A. commented. “He threw up over the fence of the river outside and it hit this couple right in the head.”</p><p>                “Some of the hangovers I had really sucked,” Tim commented. “Imagine being booze hungover, and then adding a cocaine crash to it.”</p><p>                “I remember this one time, I did ‘shrooms back in highschool,” Sabrina started. “They found me freaking out in the janitor’s closet because I could hear Miss Buenaventura’s lecture four hallways down. It was like I could taste colors and see sounds. Not my proudest moment.”</p><p>                “Wait, you were the ‘shroom girl ?” B. asked. “I heard about that story !! It made me never want to do ‘shrooms, like ever.”</p><p>                “Oh god, you guys think ‘shrooms are bad ?” Jane laughed. “One time, in my sophomore year of highschool, Tim took me out to a senior party and I ended up taking a lot of G.H.B, and I don’t remember a lot from that night. I just remember passing out in Molly Estevez’s bathtub.”</p><p>                “I remember that night,” A. said.</p><p>                He squinted at Tim, with his arms crossed, before he took a sip from his cup.</p><p>                “Do <strong><em>you</em></strong>, Tim ?”</p><p>                Tim did, in fact, remember that night. He couldn’t forget it, it was burned into his memory. He ended up with a broken rib, and two broken fingers. If Melanoff hadn’t stopped him and A. from fighting, who knows what would’ve happened, Tim could’ve broken more bones or <strong><em>worse</em></strong>. Thankfully, Jane was so high, she didn’t remember a thing.</p><p>                “I did marijuana once !!” Patience squeaked. “It was in one of those cookies !! It was a little spicy though.”</p><p>                “Did you feel high afterwards ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “Well, my mouth was a little hot, but I didn’t feel much different,” Patience noted. “I’m just surprised that they let Miss Buenaventura sell them at the bake sale.”</p><p>                “Uhm, honey, I don’t think those were weed cookies,” A. chuckled. “Those might’ve been her Mexican vanilla, green chile cookies.”</p><p>                “Oh, darn it !!” she exclaimed. “I thought I was finally gonna do something y’all did !!”</p><p>                “Patience, doing drugs isn’t necessarily a good thing to be proud of,” Tim reassured. “Sure, sometimes the situations you end up in are a bit . . . wacky, but not all of them are. I’ve woken up in alleyways with nothing except maybe the clothes on my back because I lost a fight that I never remembered having and they robbed me.”</p><p>                “I did meth once,” B. claimed. “I sure as hell got a lot done around my house, and even took apart my entire refrigerator to put it back together, but I didn’t go into work for a week straight. I nearly got fired, and my gums were bleeding because I nearly pulled out a few of my teeth with pliers. Never again.”</p><p>                “Even alcohol is bad sometimes !!” Jane exclaimed. “Troy would come home absolutely plastered, and he would try to hurt me and Smokey. I used to have to lock myself in the bedroom before he ended up pissing on the floor somewhere and passing out on the couch. I’d normally leave and spend the night at B.’s place.”</p><p>                Tim drank the last of the root beer before he nodded in agreement.</p><p>                “As a recovering alcoholic, I can say that stuff happens way more often than you’d think.”</p><p>                “We’re really letting out a lot of information here,” Sabrina noted. “Why don’t we play a game of ‘Truth or Drink’ to have some fun and clear the air.”</p><p>                “Oh, how do you play ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “You pick someone in the room and you ask them a question,” Sabrina instructed. “And they have the choice to either tell the truth and answer, or they get to take a drink. The first person to drink everything in their cup loses the game.”</p><p>                “I’ll go first,” A. announced. “B., do you have a crush on Sabrina ?”</p><p>                His twin quickly took a drink from his cup.</p><p>                “You’re no fun,” A.commented.</p><p>                “So, now it’s B.’s turn to ask anyone a question,” Sabrina explained.</p><p>                “Okay, A.,” B. started. “What’s your second job ?”</p><p>                The other twin then drank from his cup and shook his head.</p><p>                “That’s not fair !!” B. exclaimed. “You have to answer some questions !!”</p><p>                “Not that one,” A. laughed. “So is it my turn again ?”</p><p>                Sabrina nodded in approval.</p><p>                “So, Tim,” A. started. “When was actually the last time you thought about drinking or snorting cocaine.”</p><p>                Tim poured himself another cup of root beer, so he could join into the game. He got the bottle of cola, and topped Jane off so she could play too.</p><p>                “Nine months ago,” he answered. “I’m kind of happy that Jane came by while I was packing, because I probably would’ve relapsed if she didn’t.”</p><p>                The twin nodded, but still glared at Tim.</p><p>                “Okay, so . . . Patience,” Tim started. “When do you and A. want to start trying for kids.”</p><p>                Patience giggled and twirled a strand of her hair, before she squished her cheek into her hand.</p><p>                “Well, I know I can’t answer for him,” Patience commented. “But I want to start tryin’ real soon, then maybe Taffeta can have a little friend to play with when they both get a little older.”</p><p>                Her fiancé scrunched his eyebrows and folded his arms.</p><p>                “Why’d you have to ask her that ?” he asked.</p><p>                “You act like havin’ kids is a bad thing !!” Patience exclaimed. “That’s just when I want to start. I already told you that we can go at our own pace and whatever happens, happens. But if I end up with a baby in my belly during our honeymoon, I ain’t gettin’ rid of them.”</p><p>                “I didn’t tell you to !!” A. argued.</p><p>                “Okay !!” Jane diffused. “Patience, I think it’s your turn to ask someone a question.”</p><p>                “Okay then, Jane,” Patience started. “If Tim wasn’t your brother, would you put a ring on it ?”</p><p>                Jane felt herself blush at the question. She couldn’t imagine herself not being related to him, it was nearly impossible. He’s her brother after all, regardless of how close they currently were.</p><p>                “Well, uh . . . that isn’t really how it even works to begin with, it’s normally the guy’s job to propose,” Jane avoided. “Even then, there’s a lot of work that goes into a relationship, and I’m not a huge fan of relationships anymore. I’d rather just focus on the baby. Tim’s a great guy and all, and if he ever finds someone that treats him right and –“</p><p>                “You’re avoidin’ the question !!” Patience exclaimed. “Answer it !!”</p><p>                Jane shook her head and took a drink.</p><p>                “Oh, you chicken !!” Patience exclaimed.</p><p>                “Well, it’s kind of an awkward question,” Sabrina explained. “That’d be like someone asking you if you wanted to marry your brothers.”</p><p>                “Well, and I could easily just say ‘no’, instead of goin’ off on a tangent,” Patience justified. “Jane dragged it out for forever.”</p><p>                “Look, I’m not good at these kinds of games !!” Jane whined. “I was better at stuff like ‘Spin The Bottle’ or ‘Seven Minutes In Heaven’. At least those games didn’t involve a lot of talking.”</p><p>                “Then should we start with ‘Seven Minutes In Heaven’ ?” Patience asked. “I would totally want to go into that bathroom with A. for a couple of minutes.”</p><p>                “That’s a bad idea,” B. reasoned. “I mean, only two of you guys aren’t related to us, so two of us would be in there with a sibling.”</p><p>                “Nobody said y’all had to make out with ‘em,” Patience clarified. “Not everyone does in that game. It’s a misunderstandin’ that everyone has to, people can have discussions away from everyone in there.”</p><p>                “And on top of that, the bathroom is tiny,” Jane claimed. “I can barely fit in there comfortably.”</p><p>                “So if one person can’t fit in there well, then there’s no way two of us could,” Sabrina finished. “Sorry Patience, maybe we could play stuff like that in Vegas.”</p><p>                “Oh boo,” Patience pouted. “I think that means that it’s Jane’s turn to ask a question.”</p><p>                Jane nodded and looked at B..</p><p>                “So, B.,” Jane started. “Do you plan on getting a new job soon so you can move out of that dingy studio apartment ?”</p><p>                “Actually, I put in a job application for an art curator at the museum,” B. commented.”I should be finding out if I got the job this week, and then if I do, I’ll be starting next month.”</p><p>                Everyone smiled and applauded B.’s accomplishment, while they all congratulated him.</p><p>                “I know you’ll get the job, B.,” A. commented. “The only reason I could think of you not getting it is being overqualified.”</p><p>                “That just gives me all the more reason to go to the museum,” Sabrina claimed. “You have an eye for art.”</p><p>                A blush rose to B.’s face and he rubbed the back of his neck as he laughed at her statement.</p><p>                “Oh well, uhm, thanks !!” he exclaimed. “I can’t wait to see an original Sabrina Nietzsche work hung in the museum, among other great artists of our time.”</p><p>                Sabrina chuckled softly and shrugged.</p><p>                “Well, we’ll see,” she claimed. “But for now, they’re all on display at my family booth when I set up at the Farmer’s Market.”</p><p>                “They’re all real cool,” Patience complimented. “She does great skulls and flowers. I got one in the house of a cow skull with sunflowers.”</p><p>                “I’ve been wanting to buy that one of the human skull and the forget – me – nots,” B. claimed. “Do you still have that one ?”</p><p>                “Is that your question for the game or just in general ?” Sabrina asked.</p><p>                “Oh, uh, yeah, I forgot it was my turn,” B. laughed. “But, yeah, I guess I’ll let that be my question.”</p><p>                “Well, I do,” Sabrina said. “Anyways, Jane, are you scared to give birth, or are you more excited ?”</p><p>                Jane adjusted in her seat and thought for a moment. It was a true mix of both, because within a little over two weeks there would be a new person in her life. There would be a tiny person, and all she’ll know when she’s born is her momma, and Jane just so happened to be her momma. It was a nice feeling to know that she would soon have another person to kiss and cuddle, but that didn’t mean that motherhood wasn’t a terrifying thought.</p><p>                It was going to be a job that was rather unforgiving with room for no mistakes. Everything had to be perfect for Taffeta, and she could not have the same childhood that the Willoughby siblings had. Jane had to be a better mother. She had to do everything right, because she couldn’t mess up. She won’t mess up.</p><p>                “Both,” she said. “I mean, it’s going to be nice to have another person around, but . . . a <strong><em>baby</em></strong> ?”</p><p>                Tim laughed at her comment before he nodded.</p><p>                “I, however, am excited,” he claimed. “I can’t wait until she comes home, and then I’ll have someone’s little cheeks to squish and pinch, and unlimited baby cuddles.”</p><p>                “Well, well, well, how the table turns,” Jane chuckled. “Believe it or not, Tim hated babies when we were kids. He said that all they ever did was ‘bother grown – ups with their childish needs’.”</p><p>                “Once I was around Ruth more, and around more kids in the neighborhood, I started to like kids a little more or at least, I realized that I wanted some of my own,” Tim explained. “Kids and babies are actually kind of neat.”</p><p>                “Speakin’ of kids, did Bea and Randy have their baby ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “Yeah ?” B. added. “They have to have had their baby by now. Wasn’t Bea due like two weeks ago ?”</p><p>                “No !!” Jane exclaimed. “Bea went in on her due date and she wasn’t even ready. They went in yesterday to see if she needed to be induced, but I haven’t heard anything from either Bea or Randy.”</p><p>                “I hope they’re okay,” A. commented. “Isn’t it unsafe for them to prolong pregnancy this long ?”</p><p>                “Yeah, that’s why they’re in the hospital today,” Jane said. “They might have to end up breaking her water and giving her an emergency c – section. I hope that doesn’t happen to us.”</p><p>                “What if your water breaks while we’re in Vegas ?” A. teased. “Are we going to have to deliver the baby on the floor of the Luxor ?”</p><p>                “Well, I’ve delivered foals and calves before,” Patience claimed. “A human can’t be that hard.”</p><p>                “I don’t think delivering those and delivering a human baby are quite the same,” B. claimed. “Hopefully there’s a doctor around to help Jane out while the ambulance comes to pick her up.”</p><p>                “Yeah, what if the umbilical cord gets wrapped around the baby’s neck ?” A. asked. “A hospital is better equipped to handle when things like that happen.”</p><p>                “Can we not talk about all the things that can go wrong ?” Jane asked. “I don’t really want to be panicking the entire trip about whether or not I’m going to go to labor in the middle of the MGM Grand. I want to kick back and enjoy it, because who knows how long it will be before I get to go on another trip like this, without toting a baby around.”</p><p>                “Okay, okay,” A. said. “It’s your turn to ask a question anyway.”</p><p>                “That’s right,” Jane remembered. “B., would you rather have a cat or a dog ?”</p><p>                “You know I’m a dog person !!” B. exclaimed. “But Sabrina’s cat is actually kind of cool. She’s one of those naked cats, and she has to wears sweaters so she doesn’t get too cold.”</p><p>                “She’s a Sphynx,” Sabrina corrected. “And her name is Chanceaux.”</p><p>                “Chanceaux !!” B. exclaimed. “That’s right !!”</p><p>                “I think it’s your turn to ask a question next, B.,” Patience insisted. “Ask a real juicy one !!”</p><p>                “Okay, A.,” B. started. “Are you a stripper ? Is that your second job ?”</p><p>                His twin smirked and laughed quietly as he shook his head.</p><p>                “Nope,” A responded. “Not a stripper.”</p><p>                “Then what are you ?”</p><p>                “I believe it’s my turn.”</p><p>                He looked towards Sabrina and rolled his shoulders.</p><p>                “Sabrina, who’s hotter ?” A. asked. “Me or B. ?”</p><p>                “Well, if I’m being honest, I would hook up with you, but . . .” Sabrina paused for a moment. “I would rather date B., he’s more my type, personality wise.”</p><p>                “So, you’re saying I’d have a chance if, hypothetically, I wanted to ask you out on a date ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “If you ever did,” Sabrina commented. “As Jane said, guys normally make the first move.”</p><p>                “How are guys supposed to know if you’re into them if you never show any signals that you like them ?” A. asked. “Sometimes, if girls show mixed signals, then guys don’t know where to go, because what’s the point of trying to ask a girl out if you have a feeling that she’s going to say ‘no’ ?”</p><p>                Sabrina and Patience both giggled as they looked at eachother.</p><p>                “Well, why don’t guys ever want to find out ?” Sabrina asked. “You never know how a girl feels unless you put on your big boy pants and ask.”</p><p>                “Fine then, Sabrina,” B. said. “You, me, Wednesday. We’re going to New York, New York and we’re going to have a date together.”</p><p>                “A date ?” Sabrina asked. “As friends or as . . . ?”</p><p>                “We’ll see how it all goes,” B. claimed. “I guess to make it be a date is whether or not I get a kiss by the end of it all.”</p><p>                “Oh, I see,” Sabrina agreed. “I guess we will see if it’s a date by the end of it all.”</p><p>                “We will,” B. repeated.</p><p>                “That’s what I just said,” Sabrina replied.</p><p>                “Okay.”</p><p>                “Okay.”</p><p>                “So that means that most of Wednesday will be free for all of us,” Jane noted. “In the afternoon, I bought us tickets to go to a magic show, and then you guys can go clubbing or gambling at night.”</p><p>                “Have y’all ever heard of ‘Lights’ ?” Patience asked. “I heard it’s a great club.”</p><p>                “We went to Lights last time we were here, right Jane ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, we did,” Jane confirmed. “A. and I got so freaking wasted that night.”</p><p>                “I think the term people like to use for it is ‘White Girl Wasted’, Jane,” A. teased. “And I am ready to get that way again.”</p><p>                “I have never seen you dance like you did that night,” Jane laughed. “It was like you were a pole dancer and your rent was due <strong><em>yesterday</em></strong>.”</p><p>                Jane and both the twins laughed at that memory, before B. shook his hand in front of himself.</p><p>                “You guys were so hard to take care of that night, A. nearly wandered half naked down the hallway of the Venetian and I had to go grab him,” B. reminded. “And when I got back to the room with him, Jane had decided to make a pillow fort that she threw up in and passed out inside of. Our roomkeeper was <strong><em>pissed</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “Sounds like a fun trip . . .” Tim sighed. “You guys won’t be getting that trashed again, right ?”</p><p>                “Oh come on Tim,” A. started. “You act like that was bad, we can go into some of the times you showed up at my place while you were both coke high and wine drunk, now those are some stories.”</p><p>                “Let’s not,” Tim insisted. “I’d rather not think about those times.”</p><p>                “Come on, Tim, one story,” A. begged. “Just one.”</p><p>                “A., stop it,” B. scolded. “You’re making him uncomfortable.”</p><p>                “You’re making a lot of people uncomfortable,” Jane added. “Stop bringing it up.”</p><p>                “Oh, Jane, you don’t even want to know what happened that night he took you to that party, Jane –“</p><p>                He felt a smack in the back of his head by Patience. He rubbed his head and turned to face her before he scrunched his eyebrows.</p><p>                “You better stop that right now,” Patience snapped. “You want your brother to be better, right ?”</p><p>                “Well, doesn’t everyone - ?”</p><p>                “Exactly,” Jane said. “And for your information, Tim is better. He’s done really well these past few months – years, even. We’re over it, you should be too. We want to move past it all, and we can’t do that if we constantly keep focusing on all the shitty things that happened in the past. I don’t particularly care about what happened that night, because it’s over now, and we can’t go back in time to magically fix whatever happened.”</p><p>                “A., I promise to prove to you that I can cope with my alcoholism now,” Tim promised. “I won’t even bring it up if that makes you feel any better. I’m better now, and I want you to know that. I want you to <strong><em>trust</em></strong> me.”</p><p>                “So, what do you say ?” B. asked. “Are we going to stop arguing about all this crap and let bygones be bygones ?”</p><p>                Tim held his hand out for his brother to shake, to signify a pact between the two, and show that he genuinely wanted to make A. happy, since he never knew that his alcoholism and drug use affected his brother that much. It had to have hurt A. a lot if he kept bringing it up, and the best way was to promise now and follow through with his actions. He had no intentions of breaking that promise to his brother.</p><p>                The twin simply sighed and shook Tim’s hand.</p><p>                “Good,” Tim said. “So, water under the bridge ?”</p><p>                “I guess,” A. agreed. “But I better not hear you talking to anyone about your drinking or wanting to do drugs. That means Jane too. You have to stop talking about it, so I know that shit isn’t on your mind.”</p><p>                “I won’t even look at it,” Tim teased. “I promise, I’ll do my best to make you happy.”</p><p>                “This goes for my wedding too,” A. said. “Don’t, and I mean don’t, mess up my wedding. It’s supposed to be mine and Patience’s day, and I don’t want it to be about you.”</p><p>                “I promise, A.,” Tim repeated. “You can count on me.”</p><p>                “Everyone heard that, right ?” A. asked. “Tim promised, and you guys all heard it.”</p><p>                “Don’t you think you’re takin’ it a little too harsh, hon’ ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “I worked my ass off to make this wedding perfect !!” A. claimed. “I don’t want it to go wrong, all because he can’t control himself. Now that it’s getting closer to time, I need to know if his ass is serious about being there. I want it to be perfect for us, babe, understand that.”</p><p>                “But he’s your brother –“</p><p>                “And I can easily make sure he’s not at the reception,” A. said. “Are we all clear ?”</p><p>                “A., you’re being a dick about it,” Jane argued. “Look, we get that you want your wedding to be amazing, but the way you’re making it sound, it seems like you don’t even want Tim at the reception.”</p><p>                “No, Jane, he has a point,” Tim agreed. “He has every right to not want me there, because Patience wants an open bar, and they already hired the bartender –“</p><p>                “I can tell him not to come - !!” Patience exclaimed.</p><p>                “No, it’s your wedding,” Tim insisted. “You deserve to have it the way you want, I don’t want to be the one groomsman that makes the wedding suck. Besides, if I really need help, Jane will be there for me. Right ?”</p><p>                Jane nodded and crossed her arms.</p><p>                “I can make sure he doesn’t cause any trouble,” she agreed. “But you need to chill out about it, okay ?”</p><p>                The engaged twin sighed before he begrudgingly nodded in agreement. It seemed as if everything was going to work out fine as long as Jane’s water didn’t break until her due date, and Tim put all of his focus on his self control.</p><p>                These next few weeks were going to be smooth sailing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. An Ecstatic Shock</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕪 – 𝕆𝕟𝕖 :</p><p>𝔸𝕟 𝔼𝕔𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕔𝕜</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                “So, we’re staying in the Mirage ?” A. asked. “I wonder what the inside of the Mirage is like. I remember our room in the Venetian for Jane’s birthday had a great view of the strip. I hope we’re on a high floor, so then we can see everything outside. It’s kind of fun to watch drunk people stumble around.”</p><p>                “Well, how are we going to divide the beds up ?” B. asked. “If it’s like the room we had a the Venetian, Tim and I can sleep on the pull – out couch, Sabrina and Jane can share a bed, and of course, Patience and A. are in the same bed. I mean, that just makes the most sense.”</p><p>                “Another surprise, we’re not actually staying in the Mirage hotel,” Jane claimed.</p><p>                “Well, where the hell are we sleepin’ ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “I think she’s going to tell us that, Patience,” Sabrina chided.</p><p>                Their rental S.U.V pulled into a gate of to the side of the hotel and pulled up to a huge building that seemed hidden from the hustle and bustle of the strip. Once everyone got out, bellhops greeted them before their bags were taken out of the S.U.V and put onto trollies. Jane led everyone to the front desk as everyone soaked up their surroundings. After they checked in, the man at the front desk took them to their room, while the bellhops unloaded their bags in the living room.</p><p>                “Welcome to the Villas at the Mirage, Willoughbys,” the host announced. “I’m Clifton, and I’ll be your host and personal assistant today. If you order it, we can bring it – we have people from all over that can bring us anything you want within reason.”</p><p>                “Wait, wait, so you’re saying if I wanted root beer, but I wanted it from Chihuahua, Mexico – you guys would do it ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “I wouldn’t tell you no,” Clifton claimed. “But that would be the most expensive soda you ever ordered.”</p><p>                “Can I - ?” A. started.</p><p>                “No, you can’t have a soda from Mexico,” Jane interrupted. “Don’t rack up our bill while you’re here.”</p><p>                “Fine, you party – pooper,” A. commented. “Do you guys make fried chicken and macaroni ?”</p><p>                “After having our fried chicken and macaroni, you’ll never want anyone else’s,” Clifton responded. “Would you like me to put in the order before I give you all the grand tour ?”</p><p>                “Please !!” A. exclaimed. “Anyone want anything else ?”</p><p>                “Uhm, uh, well, this might be a silly request, but –“ Patience started.</p><p>                “Nothing you have to request is too big,” Clifton reassured.</p><p>                “My acrylics broke on the way here,” Patience explained. “Might we have a nail technician in to fix up my nails, and maybe give us ladies all manicures ?”</p><p>                Jane and Sabrina lit up at the idea of getting a manicure, it was well deserved after a five hour trip. Then they could look stylish their entire trip to Vegas.</p><p>                “Hey A.,” B. started. “I’ll pay for your manicure if you get one.”</p><p>                “Like a clear coat of nail polish ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “Nope,” B. claimed. “Full on acrylic nails.”</p><p>                “But you’ll pay for them ?” A. asked.</p><p>                His twin nodded and gave him a smile. It was a smug smile, because A., being the more masculine of the two, would never get long acrylics in everyone else’s mind. At least, everyone had thought that, because he was into machinery, and was never afraid to get dirty – what would be the point of looking pretty if he was just going to get messy again ?</p><p>                “Okay, four manicures,” A. confirmed. “I think I have an idea in mind.”</p><p>                “Wait, you’re actually going to do it ?” Tim asked. “You ?”</p><p>                The twin shrugged and gave a smile.</p><p>                “I can’t think of any reason I shouldn’t,” A. responded. “Besides, I can always go to a salon back home and get them taken off before I go back to work.”</p><p>                Both Willoughby brothers looked to eachother and raised their eyebrows, as they watched the girls squeal and giggle over the fact that A. was going to get a manicure and pedicure with them.</p><p>                “I think that would call for a makeover too,” Sabrina noted. “I brought my makeup bag with me, and I’m sure I can put a complete smokey eye on you before we head out for tonight. What do we have planned ?”</p><p>                “Well, nothing huge for the most part, but I was thinking we could go and eat at Caesar’s Palace before we go and look around, gamble and such,” Jane explained. “That is if everyone wants to do that.”</p><p>                Clifton cleared his throat to get the attention back on him, before he led the party through the living room, and into one of the three suites of the house.</p><p>                “Let me show you all around, there are three total bedrooms in this suite, so two persons to each bedroom,” Clifton explained. “Every room has their own bathroom, complete with a closet sized shower and a jacuzzi tub –“</p><p>                “What kind of closet do you have, Clifton ?” Patience asked. “This shower is about as big a freakin’ Clydesdale and maybe even a Shetland !!”</p><p>                “Tim !! They have another jacuzzi tub !!” Jane exclaimed. “I actually think we can both fit in it this time !!”</p><p>                “Fat chaaan –“ Tim started. “Holy shit, it’s like a tiny hot tub !!”</p><p>                “And that isn’t even the best part,” Clifton claimed. “Follow me.”</p><p>                He took them back to the living room where he drew the curtains and opened to a small, yet gorgeous patio that had furniture, a small pool that had a floatie shaped like a cat face, a hot tub, and a bar. Everyone gasped and chatted amongst themselves about how amazing the back was, while nobody noticed A. as he took off his leather jacket and shirt, before he pulled his wallet, keys, and phone out his pocket and tossed them onto the top of a table.</p><p>                He took a running start and jumped into the pool, after he shouted the obligatory ‘Cannonball !!’. A. hit the water with a ginormous splash, before he emerged and shook his head to shake off any excess water. He spit water into the air as if he were a novelty fountain, before he managed to take his shoes off and pour water out of them, and he set them in front of the pool.</p><p>                “I’ll leave you to it while I get your orders,” Clifton dismissed. “Please, ring the front desk if you need anything else. The bar is free and unlimited with choices between sparkling water and juice, sodas, and various liquors.”</p><p>                Jane gave a thumbs up to their assistant as he left the room.</p><p>                “If he gets to jump in, so do I !!” Patience exclaimed.</p><p>                She grabbed the hem of her dress before she tossed it onto the chair behind herself, and kicked off her kitten heels before she copied her fiancé and leaped into the pool. Her makeup ran down her face as she spit out water and laughed.</p><p>                “Any of y’all comin’ in ?” she asked. “Or are y’all a bunch of chickens ?”</p><p>                “I am not a chicken !!” Tim retorted.</p><p>                He unbuttoned his shirt and untied his tie before he dropped them on the ground. Tim pulled off his belt and khakis and slid out of his shoes and socks before he went and cannonballed in with A. and Patience. He shook his head and looked up at the three remaining.</p><p>                “Jane, B., Sabrina ?” he asked. “Jump in; the water’s fine !!”</p><p>                “Oh, I really shouldn’t,” Sabrina said. “I spent two hours doing my makeup this morning.”</p><p>                Sabrina jumped as she felt a hand on her back, and she looked to see that it was B..</p><p>                “Well, well, well, then it would be such a shame if someone . . .”</p><p>                She squealed as she was shoved into the pool and she coughed among emergence from the water. Her dark makeup ran in streams and her skin tone began to show through the thick layers of nearly white foundation she had layered onto her face. She tossed her flouncy black summer hat onto the cement before she grabbed B.’s leg and pulled him into the pool with her.</p><p>                They all laughed and shouted as everyone except for Jane was in the pool. They splashed and swam as if the two activities were both illegal and they were breaking the law.</p><p>                Jane felt her phone buzz before she pulled it from her bra to see that she had a text message from both Bea and Randy. Alarms went off in her head and she unlocked her phone before she saw that both messages pertained to the birth of the one and only Anya Louise Wolfe.</p><p>                “Anya Louise Wolfe, born at six thirty seven, weighing in at ten pounds and six ounces, and measuring at twenty three inches !! Labor lasted for forty two hours, before we had an emergency caesarean !!”</p><p>                “Whoa !! Randy and Bea had their baby !!” Jane exclaimed. “And she’s huge – no wonder she was so big. The baby was almost eleven pounds !!”</p><p>                “Eleven ?” Patience exclaimed. “Lemme see !!”</p><p>                Jane kneeled down by the pool and flipped her phone around for her friends and family to see the picture Bea and Randy both sent of their behemoth of a baby. She was wrapped in the blanket provided by the hospital and put into a pink stocking cap.</p><p>                “She looks like Bea !!” B. exclaimed.</p><p>                “No, she has Randy’s eyes,” Tim commented.</p><p>                “But the rest of her is a spittin’ image of her momma !!” Patience commented.</p><p>                “My condolences to Bea,” A. hissed. “Did they have to rearrange her organs ? I could see that baby being the cause of a kidney transplant.”</p><p>                “Babies are born bigger than that,” Sabrina claimed. “And even then, she had a caesarean, so everything downstairs should be okay.”</p><p>                “She’s a chunky monkey, ain’t she ?” Patience asked. “Oh, I could just squish her cheeks !! I’m gonna try next time we see Randy and Bea !!”</p><p>                There was a knock at the front door, and Jane put her phone back into her bra, before she hurried to the door. She opened to be greeted by Clifton and two women in scrubs for a nail salon that wheeled in the equipment to do nails for the four of them that had bought an appointment.</p><p>                “Are the nail ladies here ?” A. asked. “Alright !! Me first !!”</p><p>                He jumped out of the pool before he went and sat at the bar, and Sabrina followed behind him.<br/>                Clifton placed the plate of fried chicken and macaroni next to A. at the bar as the two nail technicians chatted with A. and Sabrina about the manicure they both desired, to which Sabrina responded with chic gothic and A. said, quoted, ‘like an escort, but a very high – end and classy escort’.</p><p>                Patience got out of the pool, with B. alongside her as they joined Sabrina and A., whether it be to eat the fried chicken or talk about the pricing of the manicures, since B. promised he’d pay for A.’s if he got one.</p><p>                Jane took off her heels, before she sat on the concrete and dipped her feet into the pool. She couldn’t slide all the way in, due to her phone in her bra, and they didn’t have rice bags laying around. She put her hand on Tim’s head and rustled his hair when he swam next to her and leaned against the cement wall of the pool.</p><p>                “Which baby do you think will come out next ?” Tim asked. “It’s all between the Vinderstromm – McMilk’s and Taffeta. I’m thinking Taffeta will. I have a feeling that their surrogate is going to have to get induced like Bea did.”</p><p>                “Well, their surrogate is fifteen, so she might go into labor early,” Jane claimed. “Celeste and Lars are up in Sweden, and they said that their surrogate has been having Braxton – Hicks for the past week and a half.”</p><p>                “Have you felt anything ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                Jane pressed into her stomach to be greeted by a foot.</p><p>                “Outside of a few kicks . . .” she started. “Nothing.”</p><p>                “Do you think that you might have to get induced ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                Jane shivered at the thought. She had seen videos of epidural needles and how they use a sharp hook to tear open the amniotic sac, before blood and fluid basically sprayed from the woman that got induced. She had heard stories about c – sections, where they take out all your organs and put them in paper bowls on the table next to you.</p><p>                “I sure hope not,” she responded. “I’ve been doing exercise to press her head against the birth canal, so hopefully my water breaks sooner, rather than later.”</p><p>                “Just try and hold it in while were at a show,” Tim teased. “We can’t have you giving birth on the floor of the Luxor, unless you want Patience to step in and try and jerk Taffeta out like a baby horse.”</p><p>                Jane giggled at the idea of that happening.</p><p>                “Well, you better beat her back with a stick if she tries to go anywhere near me while I’m in labor,” Jane commented. “I’d rather wait for an ambulance to arrive before I let Patience try to deliver a baby on her own, regardless if she’s birthed animal babies or human babies.”</p><p>                “I mean, I’ve never thought about putting a woman in a headlock . . .” Tim started. “But there’s a first time for everything, right ? Patience can handle it. It’s more A. that I have to be worried about.”</p><p>                “Yeah, what he did back on the plane was a douche move,” she agreed. “It’s not like you can just get rid of an addiction. You just learn to deal with it and get past it. It’s always going to be a part of you, but what really matters is whether or not you go back to it, and if you ask me, you’re doing amazing.”</p><p>                “He has a point though, it’s his wedding, and I can’t mess it up for him,” Tim insisted. “I don’t want to be the one person to ruin his wedding. Him and Patience deserve a good wedding, I know what it’s like to have a shitty wedding, even if I was part of the reason my wedding was awful.”</p><p>                Jane left off a scoff before she hit him on the shoulder.</p><p>                “Your wedding sucked because Queen sucked,” she stated. “She was the one that sat over there and tried to control everything. She was the one that called for a redo of her walking down the aisle because she didn’t think people were emotional enough. Like anyone would be in tears by that tugboat in a ballgown.”</p><p>                “I cried a little,” he corrected. “There still was a point in time where I loved her, just like you loved Troy.”</p><p>                Jane shrugged and bit the inside of her cheek.</p><p>                “I’m not actually sure that I ever did,” she explained. “I think I thought I did because I was supposed to. You know, he was a football player, I was the head cheerleader – normally that’s how highschool romances worked. Then I stayed because . . . he was a jerk and threatened to kill me or himself if I did leave, and then he ended up breaking up with me because I got onto him about being a piece of shit. You know how it goes.”</p><p>                “I guess so,” Tim agreed. “Once we found out that our plans to have kids weren’t going to work, Queen was onto the next thing. Looking back, I don’t know why we thought that bringing a kid into the mix was a good idea. I mean, it would’ve been a temporary fix, because having a kid was something we both actually wanted, but marriages only work when the two married people want eachother. Queen and I weren’t happy with eachother anymore.”</p><p>                “Troy was kind of the same way,” Jane sighed. “He wanted kids because he thought a kid would motivate him, but you have to want to change for yourself, or else that change won’t stick. Eventually, obviously, I gave in . . . he still wouldn’t have been happy since he wasn’t the one that put her there, and I couldn’t lie and say that she was his because even he’s not stupid enough to believe babies are conceived by kissing.”</p><p>                “I know I tell you this a lot,” he claimed. “But I still think, for what it’s worth, you’re going to be a great momma. Taffeta is going to be an extremely lucky girl to have such a headstrong, independent, kickass woman to look up to.”</p><p>                She smiled and put her hand on his head.</p><p>                “And she’s going to be luck to have such a gentle, kind – hearted, patient man as her poppa,” she commented. “I don’t say things like that a lot, but I really do mean them, no matter what everyone else has to say.”</p><p>                He smiled before Jane saw a set of beautifully designed gold and black acrylic nails, each nail with a different yet cohesive design. The fingers they were attached to wiggled to show of the shiny gold flakes and polish in the sunlight.</p><p>                “Like them ?”</p><p>                It was A..</p><p>                She pushed his hands back towards him so she could see them without her brother being right on top of her. She held his hands to see the difference between every nail, but she also noticed, for a person that doesn’t wear acrylic nails, they were a little long.</p><p>                “They’re beautiful, but . . .” she started. “Are you sure they’re good for a first time ? I mean, consider this, holding a fork, opening doors, wiping your ass – will those be hard for you to do with these on ?”</p><p>                He scoffed and rolled his eyes.</p><p>                “Jane, Jane,” he started. “The only thing I’m going to be doing is holding a credit card and dollar bills the entire trip. You worry too much.”</p><p>                “But the bathroom thing,” she reminded. “You still have to use the bathroom while we’re here.”</p><p>                “I can hold it all the way until we go home !!” he claimed.</p><p>                “We’ll see, A..”</p><p>                She got up and went to the nail technician, and requested a rose gold and matte black set, as Patience joined her and requested a blush pink and rose themed set.</p><p>                “Hey A.,” Sabrina said. “I told you that I’d give you a makeover, so why don’t we get started before we have to head out on the strip ?”</p><p>                “Oh, I have got to see this !!” B. exclaimed.</p><p>                Tim got out of the pool and joined them in the living room, after he grabbed a towel as to not get the couches wet.</p><p>                “I’m going to go and shower so my hair doesn’t turn green,” A. commented. “Again, I mean.”</p><p>                “Do you want to shower first ?” Tim asked B.. “I mean, I can wait until you shower, because it won’t take me too long.”</p><p>                “Yeah, I’ll get in first, as long as I get to borrow that berry scented shampoo from you,” B. agreed.</p><p>                “It’s Jane’s but don’t tell her I stole it from her,” Tim whispered. “But go ahead.”</p><p>                “I should shower too,” Sabrina announced. “It might take me awhile to do my own makeup.”</p><p>                Sabrina and both the twins split off to get in the shower before Tim went back out to the bar to see that they were halfway done with both Patience and Jane’s manicures.</p><p>                “Hey Tim,” Patience greeted. “What are the other boys doin’ ?”</p><p>                “Probably staring at A.’s manicure under the bathroom light,” Jane teased. “I’m sure that going to keep them both busy for about the next hour and a half.”</p><p>                Both women began to laugh at the truth behind the statement, since B. loved fashion and A. had the same interest in shiny things as a crow.</p><p>                “Everyone went to shower,” Tim explained. “I let B. go first in our shower.”</p><p>                “Oh, speakin’ of you and Sabrina sharin’ a room,” Patience started. “Don’t scream when you see her without her makeup on. She looks like a totally different person.”</p><p>                “It can’t be that bad,” Jane insisted. “Besides, I wake up almost every morning to this guy, drooling all over the pillows.”</p><p>                “Oh, wait ‘till tonight,” Patience commented. “This entire villa might shake due to A.’s snoring.”</p><p>                “Shit, I forgot they snore,” Tim groaned. “Sometimes it was hard to get any sleep between him and B. both snoring. It sounds like you’re sleeping next to two broken washing machines all night.”</p><p>                “Did Queen ever snore ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Only when she was really tired,” Tim said. “Which was . . . yeah, almost all the time.”</p><p>                “I’m glad your snoring’s gotten better,” Jane commented. “When we were driving the dirigible, that was awful, and you drooled all over me.”</p><p>                “Well, now that I sleep in beds instead of car seats and hammocks, I get a way better night’s sleep,” Tim explained. “It feels like I’m going to bed on a cloud almost every night.”</p><p>                “Well, soft mattresses do that for you,” Jane said.</p><p>                “I could not sleep on a soft mattress,” Patience commented. “A. and I sleep on a firm mattress. It really helps out our backs, sometimes mine even cracks when I get into bed, and that’s a wonderful feelin’ when you’ve been workin’ on a ranch all day – milkin’ cows ‘n such.”</p><p>                The nail technicians told Jane and Patience they were done as B. came outside, as he used a towel to dry off his hair before he and Jane paid the women and they packed up to leave.</p><p>                Everyone went back inside, before Patience and Tim went to go and shower.</p><p>                “Jane, you need to come and see this,” B. whispered.</p><p>                “What is it ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                He took her by the hand and lead her to his room, where the only sound that could be heard was the water that ran in the shower, while Tim showered. B. slid a duffel bag from under their bed before he plopped it on the bed. He unzipped it, before he pulled out a pair of clear platform heels.</p><p>                “What are you showing me this for ?” she asked.</p><p>                “I found it in A. and Patience’s room,” he whispered. “These shoes are too big to be Patience’s . . . so that has to mean . . .”</p><p>                He raised his eyebrows at her, in an attempt to say what he wanted to say, without actually saying it.</p><p>                “They’re . . . oh my god,” she whispered. “What else is in there ?”</p><p>                The twin pulled out two perfume bottles, a denim skirt, garter belt, crop top, suspenders, and a makeup bag, before he flipped the bag over to show Jane the things he wouldn’t dare touch.</p><p>                “What ?” she asked. “What do you think is going on ?”</p><p>                “I’m not too sure . . .” B. answered. “Unless he lied during the game of ‘Truth or Drink’.”</p><p>                “No, strippers don’t use half of that stuff,” Jane reasoned. “That only leaves one other option.”</p><p>                She bit her lips and rose her eyebrows.</p><p>                “No !!” B. gasped. “You don’t think he’s doing this because he’s having money problems, right ?”</p><p>                Jane shrugged before she hurried to put everything back into the bag, which B. zipped up and slid back under his and Tim’s bed.</p><p>                “Do you think Patience knows ?” Jane asked. “We shouldn’t be the ones to tell her, we shouldn’t even mention it !! It might just be a temporary thing, just until the wedding funds get paid. We shouldn’t panic.”</p><p>                “But that means he’s cheating on Patience,” B. reasoned. “She’s going to be heartbroken, or pissed off at the very least – do you think he even loves her ?”</p><p>                “There’s no doubt in my mind that he does,” Jane encouraged. “I think it might just be a money thing and he’s too proud to ask for help. You know how he is. Besides, he’s a grown man that’s capable of making his own decisions. He knew what could happen and he did it anyway.”</p><p>                “But we could always offer him other ways to make money !!” B. claimed. “Since my position at the skate shop might be open soon, I could offer him a job there – and you could always give that Clementine girl Willow’s old job and let him be the cashier at your shop !! There’s other ways, Jane –“</p><p>                Thee doors to the room swung open and they were greeted by A., as he strutted into the room with a full face of makeup and his new set of acrylic nails.</p><p>                “How do I look ?” A. asked. “Fabulous, right ?”</p><p>                Jane squeezed onto B.’s shoulder in an attempt to keep his mouth shut. She knew B. would spill everything, because he always does when he’s nervous. When she and him would sneak out of the house together, he was always the first one to rat everyone out under pressure.</p><p>                “You look great !!” she laughed. “I could never have imagined you with a smokey eye !!”</p><p>                “Yeah,” A. agreed. “Sabrina did a good job, didn’t she ? All I need is a mini dress and I am ready to go club the night away.”</p><p>                “A mini – dress ?” B. shuttered.</p><p>                “Oh, come on, you’re just jealous that I’d be able to rock one better than you,” A. teased. “Well, I mean, at least I’m pretty sure I would.”</p><p>                His twin simply looked away and stared out the window, as he knew if he continued to stare his nerves out get the better of him.</p><p>                “Hey, I’m sure I have one you can borrow if you want to wear one,” Jane claimed.</p><p>                He laughed and shook his head, before he waved his hand.</p><p>                “I’m just going to go out like this,” he claimed. “We’re just looking around anyway. There’s no need to get too fancy tonight, since we’re just going to dinner at Caesar’s Palace.”</p><p>                “Well, it is a roman style place, maybe getting a little dressed up might be beneficial,” Jane suggested. “I mean, I think I’m the only one that’s actually ready to go anywhere fancy.”</p><p>                “Oh shut up,” A. exclaimed. “I could show up naked and still be the best dressed.”</p><p>                “I gotta go,” B. interrupted. “I’ll go and make us all some drinks, that is if you guys want any before we head out. I know I’m making myself a Mojito. You want one, A. ?”</p><p>                “Nah, I want to enjoy tonight,” he answered. “It’s our first night out in Vegas again !! Let’s save all the fun stuff for the rest of the week. I know I want to go soda tasting in New York, New York again !!”</p><p>                “You’re not going to drink all the sodas together again, are you ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “Probably,” A. answered. “But I promise I’ll do it on an empty stomach so I don’t puke out a bunch of food.”</p><p>                “Sometimes I wonder how you’re engaged,” B. commented.</p><p>                His twin lifted one specific finger in his direction as he left out the door.</p><p>                “So, what were you talking about ?” A. asked. “I feel like I interrupted something.”</p><p>                “Oh, noting really,” Jane lied. “We were just discussing the plans for the rest of the week. You know, Fremont, Chippendales, the big dinner, shows we want to see.”</p><p>                “Chippendales ?” A. asked. “Who’s all going ?”</p><p>                “Well, Tim and I were going to turn in early the night of . . . so, I was going to give our tickets to you two,” Jane explained. “I mean, I don’t know how you feel about it but –“</p><p>                “I’d be a great experience to try,” A. reassured. “Maybe I might actually like it, but what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”</p><p>                “Don’t make out with one of them,” Jane teased. “They’re there to entertain.”</p><p>                “What ? Me ?” he asked. “I would never !! Besides, I’m engaged !!”</p><p>                Jane felt her body heat up at the comment. If he was so concerned about being engaged, why was he doing what he was doing for a second job ? She reasoned with herself in her own head, and reminded herself, he was probably just trying to make an easy quick buck, which made sense – he and Patience planned on getting kois from Japan shipped here for the wedding.</p><p>                “I’m going to go and check on Patience,” A. dismissed. “She’ll take forever and a day to get ready if I don’t check up on her.”</p><p>                He left out the door and went into his and Patience’s bedroom.</p><p>                Tim exited the shower, as he patted down his face for water.</p><p>                “So, what were you guys talking about ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Nothing.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Party of Lachesism</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝</p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕪 – 𝕋𝕨𝕠 :</p><p>ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕠𝕗 𝕃𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕤𝕞</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞</p><p>                “We have to go ziplining, just once !!” A. begged. “Come on, Patience. We might never get to go again !!”</p><p>                The party exited the current club they were in and went back onto Fremont street. A D.J’s music filled the entire street, and lights blared from the light up dome that hung over the entire street. Booths glowed with lights, shirts that had lights inside that danced to the beat of the song, and glow sticks seemed to be the hottest accessory on the street.</p><p>                “They are not gonna let my fat ass on a zipline,” Patience commented. “I might break the damn thing.”</p><p>                “I saw someone twice your size get on one, Patience,” Jane insisted. “You only live once !!”</p><p>                “I am in a dress !!” Patience whined. “Someone my see my undies !!”</p><p>                “Who cares, we’re in Vegas !!” B. exclaimed. “I will take off all my clothes and streak down the entire street if you promise to go ziplining right now.”</p><p>                “Nobody wants to see that, B.,” Tim argued. “And besides, I’d rather not have to bail you out of jail tonight.”</p><p>                “There was a guy in a g – string speedo just down the street,” B. insisted. “If he can walk around like that, why can’t I ?”</p><p>                “Because everything was covered,” Sabrina exclaimed. “I can’t guarantee a single person down here wants to see your bare ass.”</p><p>                “Actually, no,” A. commented. “I want to see it because I want to see Speedy the Fremont Cop chase after him on a Segway. Come on, a Segway cop and a streaker is a hilarious combination.”</p><p>                “But busting your brother out of jail for indecency isn’t,” Tim argued. “And if Patience doesn’t want to do it today, we have until Saturday. This isn’t the only time we’re coming down here this week.”</p><p>                “Okay, okay, babe,” A. started. “If you zipline with me, I will drive you down to the drive – in chapel and we can get married tonight.”</p><p>                “It wouldn’t be the same,” Patience sighed. “Besides, we can’t get a refund on those koi fish, and those cost a lot of money.”</p><p>                “Damn it !!” A. exclaimed. “What would it take to get you to zipline with me ?”</p><p>                Patience tapped her chin in thought, before she gave him a mischievous smirk.</p><p>                “They’re havin’ amateur hour down at Glitter Gulch,” she started. “If you get on stage there, and make at least twenty dollars, I’ll go ziplinin’ with you.”</p><p>                He grabbed her hand before he pulled her towards the club in enthusiasm.</p><p>                “Well, I guess it’s goodbye to them,” Jane said. “Sabrina, B., do you want to –“</p><p>                She and Tim turned to see that Sabrina an B. also split off into another direction, towards where food stands were. Jane shrugged at Tim before she reached to hold his hand.</p><p>                “We’re not going to go after them ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Eh,” Jane sighed. “They’re adults, and they know where the villa is. Let’s enjoy the trip for ourselves for once. Maybe we can just walk around and see what’s appealing.”</p><p>                “Maybe Sabrina and B. have the right idea,” Tim insisted. “I’m getting hungry too.”</p><p>                “Well, we should get something to eat before your stomach scares the entire street into evacuation,” Jane teased. “I heard they have great nachos down at that Park place.”</p><p>                They walked through the crowd and towards the restaurant, and they made sure not to separate from eachother, as they would in New York, because if they split, nobody could tell what would happen.</p><p>---</p><p>                “Should we have told them that we were going ?” B. asked.</p><p>                Sabrina simply shrugged as she opened the door to a pop – in Chinese restaurant, and held it open for B..</p><p>                “I could’ve held that open for you,” B. commented.</p><p>                “Well, ladies first,” Sabrina teased.</p><p>                He simply laughed before he followed her inside and they built their Styrofoam boxes of food, and sat down at one of the beautifully printed, vinyl covered booths that had holes punctured in the plastic and strands of the embroidery coming up.</p><p>                “So, were you really serious about that date ?” Sabrina asked. “I mean, we were drinking a little –“</p><p>                He felt himself panic, and sweat began to pool at the base of his hairline. She didn’t want to go on a date with him is what that meant. She thought he was joking, she was going to say that she didn’t want to go if he said that it was a date.</p><p>                “Uhm . . .” he managed.</p><p>                “I’ve been talking to this guy that I met on Heartflame, but he’s honestly kind of a douche,” she continued. “He’s not artistic at all he would never understand things the way you do, but you know, he’s great for casual hookups and stuff. His abs are so chiseled that you can grate cheese on them.”</p><p>                “Y – You like clean cut abs ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “What girl doesn’t ?” Sabrina teased. “But some guys really rock a dad – bod. I mean, you don’t exactly have a dad – bod, but you’re not really a Chippendale model yourself.”</p><p>                “Is that a bad thing ?” he asked.</p><p>                “No,” Sabrina answered.</p><p>                “Sabrina, I –“ he stopped himself.</p><p>                He had to tell her how he felt, or else he’ll constantly be stuck in the friendzone, and he didn’t want to be there anymore, but there would be no way of finding out how she felt if he never said something. Everyone had a point, nice guys don’t finish last if they never start the race. If he didn’t say anything now, maybe cheese grater abs from Heartflame will end up with her, and he’ll simply be stuck as the designated shoulder to cry on.</p><p>                She raised an eyebrow at him, before she twirled rice noodles onto her fork and popped the bite in her mouth.</p><p>                “I need to know what you want from me,” he said. “I need to know how you see me, if I’m just your sib from a different crib, or if we could ever be anything more than friends.”</p><p>                She didn’t respond right away, but she continued to eat, as if she disregarded his question entirely.</p><p>                He sighed before he went back to eating. He should’ve expected this. Girls were always so complicated. How was A., the dumb one, more in touch with women than he was ? It didn’t make any sense.</p><p>                “I don’t know, B.,” she finally answered. “I mean, I always have a great time with you, and I enjoy being around you, but I’ve never thought about you in that way . . .”</p><p>                “So, it’s a ‘no’ ?” he asked.</p><p>                “No,” she reassured. “It’s an ‘I don’t know’. I’ve never thought about it, because . . . I didn’t know that’s how you felt. You’ve been an amazing friend these past few weeks, but you’ve never said anything or done anything that would make me think that you . . .”</p><p>                “I didn’t want to be seen as a creep !!” B. exclaimed. “I know girls find it weird when a guy sits there and constantly begs for her attention. I didn’t want to smother you so you’d pull away, because I like being friends with you, just sometimes . . .”</p><p>                She rose an eyebrow in inquisition.</p><p>                “Sometimes ?” she repeated.</p><p>                “Sometimes . . .” he paused for a minute. “I want more.”</p><p>                “Oh,” she said. “I mean . . . I guess I can understand what you’re saying.”</p><p>                “But you’ve never felt the same way towards me ?” he asked. “Not even a little bit ?”</p><p>                “I just haven’t really been looking for a partner, I guess,” Sabrina sighed. “I’ve been on Heartflame, looking for hookups, because sometimes commitment to a singular person is scary. Like, you see the same exact person every day. They’re there when you leave, they’re there when you go home, you share space with them all the time – with hookups, you don’t have to worry about that. It’s just a little bit of wham, bam, thank you ma’am, and you’re out the door. You might never see them again, and you don’t have to worry about becoming unhappy with just one person.”</p><p>                “Well, have you ever thought about the other side of it ?” B. asked. “You always have someone to come home to and talk to if you have a stressful day, and someone’s always there to listen to you. Someone always wants to be there for you, even if you guys aren’t hooking up. They’re there to help you laugh at embarrassing things, and they’re there to help you get through everything.”</p><p>                “Like we already do ?” Sabrina asked.</p><p>                He shrugged and picked up an orange chicken bite with his fork.</p><p>                “Basically,” he agreed. “Yeah.”</p><p>                “So if we were to become a thing . . .” she started. “Nothing would really change between us ?”</p><p>                “I mean, I can’t guarantee that,” he sighed. “Things might change a little bit, because couples do more things together, especially if they end up living together – which we wouldn’t have to do right away, of course !!”</p><p>                “What would have to change ?” she asked.</p><p>                “I mean, if we move in together –“ B. started.</p><p>                “No, I mean, if we don’t move in together ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Oh, uhm,” he exclaimed. “I mean, I guess I’d probably . . . kiss you and stuff.”</p><p>                “Oh, you’d just kiss me ?” she teased. “Wonderful.”</p><p>                “I’m not going to go into detail about everything out in public !!” he laughed. “But, you get the idea ?”</p><p>                She giggled quietly before she closed her empty box and stabbed her fork through the top.</p><p>                “I mean, I still don’t know if I’m ready to make that huge jump,” she claimed. “Going from friendship to courtship is hard, and I wouldn’t want it to end badly and then for us to not be friends anymore.”</p><p>                “No, no, I get it,” B. agreed. “We can take things at our own pace, since now our feeling are out there. If something happens between us . . . it happens.”</p><p>                “So, you’re sure you won’t hate me if it’s not what I wanted ?” she asked.</p><p>                “I don’t think I could ever hate you,” he laughed. “But are we still on for New York, New York ?”</p><p>                “Yeah,” she confirmed. “If it ends up not really being a date, I know that I’ll still have fun.”</p><p>                He reached forward and held her hand, and for once, she held his back.</p><p>---</p><p>                “I can’t believe you got five – hundred dollars !!” Patience exclaimed. “People were practically throwin’ money at you !! Where did you learn to be so good at that ?”</p><p>                Her fiancé shrugged as he folded the money in a way that would fit in his pockets.</p><p>                “So, that means you have to zipline with me,” he reminded.</p><p>                “Guess so ?” she answered.</p><p>                They both made their way to the zipline and stood in the line of people that crawled up the stairs to the zipline. Both of them watched as other people would slide down the rope and either clench up or twirl around on the harness. The smell of alcohol fumed over the stairs and it seemed a lot of people talked as loud as they could, because they couldn’t hear the other person through the noise of everyone else.</p><p>                “How much do you want to bet that someone’s going to throw up on this thing ?” he shouted.</p><p>                “It’s not really much of a bet if we both know that someone’s gonna throw up on it,” Patience pointed out.</p><p>                “Okay, how many people do you think are going to throw up on this thing ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I dunno,” Patience shouted back. “Judgin’ by the people up here, there has to be about thirty people ahead of us, so by the time we get up to the front, I think at least, maybe twenty two of them will puke before we reach the top.”</p><p>                “Well, with as drunk as everyone probably is, I think everyone will,” he answered. “So, you say twenty – two, I say thirty – do we have a bet ?”</p><p>                “You’re on,” she answered. “The person that wins has to buy the other one a drink of their choosin’.”</p><p>                “Sounds like a fair deal,” A. agreed. “I think I might want to get one of those huge whiskey things from that cowboy bar. I said I was going to get white girl wasted on this trip, and I think that’s a start.”</p><p>                “Those whiskey thangs looked good,” she commented. “I might was to get one of those when I win.”</p><p>                “<strong><em>If</em></strong> you win,” A. insisted.</p><p>                She gave him a smirk and pushed his shoulder.</p><p>                “No,” she responded. “<strong><em>When</em></strong>.”</p><p>                They followed the line up a little more, before the line stopped and they were able to lean on the railing of the stairs to watch the people that were attached to the zipline go down Fremont street, all the way to the other side.</p><p>                The two watched as they saw a lady on the left turn her head, and chunks of puke flew out of her mouth before they hit the ground with a loud, meaty splat.</p><p>                “Oh !!” Patience laughed. “That was sick !!”</p><p>                “Ugh, that was so gross !!” A. exclaimed with her. “Did you see it ? There were chunks !!”</p><p>                They laughed as they scooted further up the line, and watched as even more people came down, some puked, while others didn’t. Patience punched A. in the arm and gave him a big toothy grin.</p><p>                “Looks like I’m gonna win that whiskey !!” she teased.</p><p>                “Well, you said there might be thirty people up there,” A. started. “What if there’s more out there ? Then it should be who’s closer in number.”</p><p>                “Oh, you can’t change up the rules now !!” she exclaimed. “That ain’t fair !!”</p><p>                “I think it’s totally fair !!” A. exclaimed.</p><p>                They watched and squinted at a guy that went down. Both heard the sound of the man gag, but they couldn’t quite tell if he had vomited or simply gagged until he reached the end.</p><p>                “When we zoom by, we better look down to see if that guy puked or not,” Patience said. “That’ll be the deciding factor of who wins a whiskey drink.”</p><p>                “Deal,” A. confirmed.</p><p>                They finally made it to the front of the line and were strapped in by the man that worked the zipline that night, after they listened to his whole speech about safety. A. and Patience stepped up to the platform and she held his hand.</p><p>                “Any last words you’d like to say ?” she asked. “That is, if we die on this ?”</p><p>                “I’m bisexual,” he announced.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Wait</em></strong>, <strong><em>wha</em></strong> - !!”</p><p>                Those were the few words he immediately regretted, and out of panic, he shoved Patience off the platform, and looked out at her. She shouted down the zipline, and none of her sentences were coherent in his mind. Her tone was unrecognizable, and he couldn’t register it as angry, upset, heartbroken, shocked, or all of the above.</p><p>                He would have to confront her over there . . . unless he could bide himself time and chicken out of the zipline. He began to fidget with the harness, but before he could even find the buckle, the man pushed him off the platform too, and he was sent across Fremont too.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Shit</em></strong> !!” he shouted.</p><p>                It slipped, he shouldn’t have said anything. That was something he should’ve kept to himself until they were both dying, old, and grey ( In his case, probably bald as well ). What if he got over to the other side and she was in tears ? What if she didn’t want to be with him anymore ? What if the wedding was off because she couldn’t bear to be with him anymore ? Sure, A. loved men, but not even every man in the world would compare to Patience. He loved her more than anyone else in the world, which is why he wanted to tell her now.</p><p>                He looked up at the lights above him to see the pictures of neon bubbles and neon women that danced in neon bikinis, and he felt tears slide down his cheeks. Did he just lose the one woman that he truly loved ? His chest felt hollow, and empty, like a part of him went missing with that statement.</p><p>                Finally, he touched down at the platform on the other side, and he didn’t see Patience.</p><p>                She was gone.</p><p>                He unhooked himself from the line, before he ran off with the harness still attached to him. He needed to find her. He didn’t feel right if he left her like that. He pushed through the crowds, and shouted at people to move out of his way, he looked at every dirty blonde woman in the crowd in hopes he’d see his fiancée.</p><p>                He was at the bottom of the stairs and he still couldn’t see her. He wiped tears from his ace as if he were a child in a supermarket that lost his mom. He stood where he was, in hopes that Sabrina, Tim, Jane, B., or for cosmos sake, Patience would come back. He sat down on a bench that had a drunk woman passed out on it, and moved her legs closer to herself.</p><p>                He folded his hands and cried into his palms. Normally, in situations like this, he would be very, very angry, but without Patience there . . .</p><p>                He was scared.</p><p>                What if he never saw her again, and he chased her off ?</p><p>                His sniffling stopped when he saw the top of a giant novelty cup that looked like an upside down, glass cowboy hat that was topped with cherries and berries, and a silly straw. He looked up and there she was. He didn’t say anything, but he gave her a hug.</p><p>                “Hey . . .” she soothed. “Why are you cryin’ ?”</p><p>                “You don’t love me anymore, do you ?”</p><p>                “What made you think that ?”</p><p>                “First it was the kid thing, and then it was the disorder thing, and now it’s the bisexual thing – I’m sorry that I never let you catch a break and that I’m this –“</p><p>                “But this is why I like you,” Patience encouraged. “You’re fulla surprises, and out of all the men and women out there . . . you chose to marry me.”</p><p>                “You’re not mad ?”</p><p>                She chuckled softly and shook her head.</p><p>                “No,” she confirmed. “I’m actually kinda glad. Now I have someone to check out hot guys with me.”</p><p>                He managed to smile and he kissed her neck.</p><p>                “I don’t deserve you,” he sighed. “You’re amazing, you know that ?”</p><p>                “You too, honey,” she soothed. “And this whole bisexual thang ain’t really much of a bother either. Now take this stupid whiskey hat, I think we both need one.”</p><p>                He pulled back from her and stood, before he took the glass hat from her and sipped from the straw.</p><p>                “Did you ever see if that guy actually threw up ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “I wasn’t really payin’ attention, I was more focused on gettin’ you a drink,” she answered. “And this entire place is filled with vomit, so I’m sure it would be hard to tell who’s was who’s, and I’m not gettin’ on the ground to Sherlock Holmes every pile of puke.”</p><p>                They both laughed at the notion of it and smiled at eachother.</p><p>                She grabbed his hand and leaned on his shoulder, before the two made their way back down Fremont to explore more of what Vegas had to offer them.</p><p>---</p><p>                Jane held onto her stomach as she and Tim exited the restaurant. She let off a burp and smiled as Tim clapped alongside her.</p><p>                “Nice one !!” he exclaimed.</p><p>                “Did you know that if you lifted your arms up during a burp, it opens the airways up, and makes them even louder ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Yeah, Queen’s brother’s taught me, but of course, she doesn’t like to have fun,” Tim commented. “She was such a stick in the mud. I’m sure I could muster something up though, that burger was greasy enough. Just give me a second.”</p><p>                He began to hit on his stomach, as if he were going to coax some air bubbles to fill up in his gut, and he attempted to force air out of his mouth, though all that really resulted from Tim was red cheeks and sweat lines from his forehead.</p><p>                “You look like a lawn flamingo that’s having a heart attack,” she teased.</p><p>                “It’s the price you have to pay for a really good burp,” he explained. “Maybe if I had a root beer or something, I’d be able to get something out of this.”</p><p>                Jane laughed at her brother before she felt her phone vibrate and she pulled it out of her purse to see that it was Celeste. Jane furrowed her eyebrows and plugged her ear as she listened to the other side of the line.</p><p>                “Hello ?”</p><p>                The first thing she heard was hysterical sobbing on the other side of the line, and she nearly dropped her phone at the sound. She began to walk away from the building as she tried to pick up on what the woman said through her sobs. She couldn’t make out a word, but she was able to figure out that it was indeed Celeste on the other end, unless Lars sounded like a girl when he cried, but she had yet to hear Lars outside of an occasional, seal – like laugh.</p><p>                “Celeste, are you okay ?” she asked. “Come on, calm down, you have to breathe.”</p><p>                “What’s happening ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “I don’t know,” Jane answered. “She’s crying. You take it.”</p><p>                She handed her phone to Tim and he took it to his ear, and plugged the other.</p><p>                “Celeste ?” he asked. “Are you okay ?”</p><p>                “She went into labor and the baby’s heartrate dropped !!” Celeste sobbed. “He’s not breathing, and he’s really tiny !! I don’t know what to do !!”</p><p>                “Hang on, how far along was she ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “Eight months !!” Celeste answered. “But they said that he had trouble and that he’s having a hard time, and they don’t know if he’s okay !!”</p><p>                “Okay, breathe, Celeste,” Tim coached. “Where’s Lars ?”</p><p>                “In there with her !! Can you put Jane on the phone ? I need help . . .”</p><p>                Tim handed the phone back to Jane before he shrugged.</p><p>                “Okay, Celeste, what’s going on ?” she asked.</p><p>                “My baby – he’s . . . he’s not doing good and he’s hurt and we don’t know if he’ll be okay !!” she cried. “I don’t know what to do !! He’s too early !!”</p><p>                “How early is he ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “About a month !!” Celeste whined. “But he’s not breathing !!”</p><p>                “Are the doctor’s helping him ?” Jane asked. “I’m sure they’re doing what they can to help, if he’s only a month early, he might need to stay in the N.I.C.U for a few weeks, but it’s mainly to put on weight, which is why he might be little. They might give him some steroids to boost his growth, and yeah, it might be scary, but right now, he needs you, your surrogate needs you, Lars needs you. You can’t fall apart like this.”</p><p>                “But what if he’s not okay ?” Celeste asked. “What if we don’t go home with our baby ?”</p><p>                “Celeste, you need to focus – what can you really do right now to help ?”</p><p>                “Nothing !!” she shouted. “I can’t do anything !!”</p><p>                “Yes, you can,” Jane insisted. “Lars is probably just as panicked as you are right now. You need to breathe, focus, and calm down, so you can help your husband and you two can sit back and think about what to do next, if something does come up.”</p><p>                “What do we do then ?” Celeste asked.</p><p>                “The doctor’s will update you on how the baby’s doing,” Jane claimed. “And then they’ll discuss your options with you, Lars, and your surrogate, but you need to be prepared for what those options are.”</p><p>                She heard Celeste begin to breathe, and her sniffles became much less frequent, before her voice, while it still quivered, was okay for the most part.</p><p>                “Okay,” Celeste agreed. “Okay, I’ll see how everything is going.”</p><p>                “Remember, stay calm,” Jane instructed. “Nothing’s going to get done if you start to panic again.”</p><p>                “Okay,” Celeste agreed. “I’ll let you know how everything goes.”</p><p>                “Okay,” Jane confirmed. “Please, let us know. Best of luck.”</p><p>                “Thanks, Jane.”</p><p>                Celeste hung up the phone, and Jane sighed as she dropped her phone back in her purse.</p><p>                “You want to go and check out some of the booths ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “I want to go back home,” Jane said. “What else is there for us to really see anyway, unless you’re interested in going into one of those strip clubs.”</p><p>                He wasn’t quite in the mood, and there was no way he was going to drag Jane along to ogle women with him. As a gentleman, the thought didn’t sit right with him. He didn’t really feel right going into one of those places, whether it be because the divorce with Queen still felt a little raw, because he felt like he’d be disappointing his family in a way, because he was now a father of a daughter, or simply because he had grown past the whole ‘look at her boobies’ phase of his life.</p><p>                “Home it is,” he confirmed. “Let me just text everyo – Look, there’s A. and Patience.”</p><p>                “And B. and Sabrina,” Jane pointed out.</p><p>                They all walked over and met up with the group.</p><p>                “Hey,” A. greeted. “You guys ready to go back ? I can have Clifton bring us that huge seafood sampler and we can watch a movie.”</p><p>                “That’s not a bad idea,” B. agreed. “I think a movie and some food would be a great way to end the night.”</p><p>                “After the night we had, I couldn’t think of a better way,” Patience claimed. “And I’ll order us all some churros. They got them fancy caramel and dulce de leche ones on the menu and I’ve never tried dulce de leche.”</p><p>                “You’ve never tried dulce de leche ?” Jane asked. “Well we better get those churros, because you’re missing out !!”</p><p>                They began to walk towards the S.U.V and all loaded inside. Jane took the driver’s seat, A. and Patience took the middle row of seats, B. and Sabrina loaded into the very back, and Tim decided to drive since he was, one, sober, and two, not pregnant.</p><p>                They made it back to the villa and everyone went to change into their pajamas as A. placed the order for the seafood platter and churros, before they all settled in the living room. Sabrina leaned on B.’s shoulder, Patience let A. rest his head in her lap, and Jane snuggled up onto Tim’s chest.</p><p>                Patience flipped through the movie channels, but nothing interesting seemed to be on. It was all old scary movies, or re – runs of ‘Keepin’ It Real : Texas Housewives’ in memory of Brandi Buchanan.</p><p>                “Can’t this T.V stream things ?” Jane asked. “Tim and I have been trying to watch this one show for months now, and we still can seem to get past the first ten minutes without something interrupting us.”</p><p>                “What is it ?” A. asked.</p><p>                “’Welcome to Mormontown’,” Tim answered, “It’s about this sheltered Mormon family that lives out on a farm, and the oldest son ends up getting engaged to someone outside their weird farm – y cult.”</p><p>                “I know that feeling,” Sabrina commented. “You don’t even want to know how many times my bubbe tells me that I need to settle down with a nice Jewish man.”</p><p>                “My momma and daddy tried to set me up with Ethan Hicks, the son of an oat farmer down the way,” Patience commented. “I’m just glad I get to marry my honey, right here.”</p><p>                Her honey let off a pleased hum at the statement as she rubbed his chin.</p><p>                The door opened and Clifton wheeled in a cart that had the seafood platter and churro basket on it, before he set them down on the coffee table.</p><p>                “Your seafood platter with oysters, crayfish, shrimp, and scallops,” he announced. “And the churros, filled with dulce de leche, caramel, and hazelnut spread.”</p><p>                “Thank you, Clifton,” Patience said. “And take some of those shrimps for the road. You deserve ‘em.”</p><p>                “Are you sure ?” Clifton asked.</p><p>                “Positive,” Patience confirmed.</p><p>                He took a few of the shrimp, before e thanked them all and left.</p><p>                Everyone reached forward and grabbed their helpings of seafood and churros, before Patience switched the T.V’s input to streaming, and Jane used her phone to stream the first episode of ‘Welcome to Mormontown’, but that seemed to be pointless, as everyone, soon after they ate their churros and food, fell asleep on the couches, and snuggled one and other.</p>
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<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Weddings and Klexos</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝ </p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕪 – 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 : </p><p>𝕎𝕖𝕕𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕂𝕝𝕖𝕩𝕠𝕤 </p><p>◟ 　   　　◞ </p><p>“I can’t find my pants,” A. announced. “Has anyone seen my pants ?” </p><p>Jane opened the door to the groom’s party dressing room to be greeted by B. without his shirt on, A. without his pants on, and Tim as he used the hair oil that he once again stole from her to make his hair silky smooth and shiny. </p><p>“What the hell is going on ?” she asked. “You guys aren’t even dressed and you need to be up there in ten minutes !!” </p><p>“Shit, really, ten ?” A. asked. “Damn it, I can’t find my pants !!” </p><p>“Have you checked the floor of the closet ?” Jane asked. </p><p>“Yes, I checked the floor,” A. argued. “They weren’t there.” </p><p>“Check again,” Jane insisted. “B., where’s your shirt ?” </p><p>“On the counter,” B. answered. “I was just about to put it on.” </p><p>“You guys have to hurry,” Jane commented. “Why is it that Tim’s the only one with his shit together ?” </p><p>Tim smiled at the notion. Just a few years ago, he would’ve been the only one without his shit together, and now it was the opposite. He turned and allowed Jane to adjust his boutonniere and tie as he handed B. the button up that sat on the table. </p><p>“Patience wanted me to tell you that Dorian and his fiancée are skipping out on the wedding, but that they’ll be there for the reception,” Jane commented. “Something about her not being able to find the right dress.” </p><p>“It isn’t her damn wedding !!” A. exclaimed. “My god, those two piss me off.” </p><p>He picked up his pants from the floor of the closet, before he slid into them. </p><p>“Well, don’t get too pissed off,” Jane commented. “We need you in a good mood. Remember, this is yours and Patience’s wedding, and it doesn’t matter who shows up or not. The most important thing is that you two are getting married.” </p><p>He took a deep breath in, before he reached into the small bag that contained his pills, before he popped the recommended dosage before he lost it in the dressing room. </p><p>“So, are you nervous ?” Jane asked. </p><p>“Of course I am,” A. said. “I just hope everything goes right – and Jane, try not to go into labor during the vows. If you feel that baby try to crawl her way out, close your legs and clench.” </p><p>“Well, I’ll do my best, but no guarantees,” Jane said. </p><p>Tim cupped her cheek and make her face him. </p><p>“You look amazing,” he complimented. </p><p>She gave him a smirk and put her hand on his side. </p><p>“You’re not too bad yourself,” she responded. “I think it’s because I adjusted your tie.” </p><p>“Whatever,” he laughed. </p><p>There was a knock at the door, before Tim ushered Jane into the closet. </p><p>“What is that ?” she asked. </p><p>“Probably Nanny,” Tim explained. “Just stay in here and stay quiet.” </p><p>“Shit,” she whispered. “Okay.” </p><p>Tim shut the closet door, and Jane stood with her ear pressed against the door. She tensed upon the sound of her voice. It seemed so familiar and unchanged. She fanned her face with her hand, as to not let her makeup run down her face. She didn’t have time to redo it, and she didn’t want to be the only bridesmaid with messy makeup. </p><p>From the conversation, and sound of the footsteps, she could tell that it was time for the wedding party to get out of the house and head up for the wedding. Tim opened the closet door, and allowed her to get out. </p><p>“You ready ?” he asked. </p><p>“Yeah,” she answered. “You ?” </p><p>“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he responded. “I have to get Sabrina, but I’ll see you out there.” </p><p>“See you out there,” she dismissed. “B., are you ready ?” </p><p>He got up from tying his shoe before he held his arm out to Jane for her to hook her own into. The wedding party met up at the doors of the small cottage that was used for people to get dressed in for weddings, Ruth and Patience’s brother, Isaac took the front, then Sabrina and Tim, before lastly, Patience came to the door with the bouquets for the bridemaids and her father. They were distributed to the bridesmaids before the classical music played from the D.J booth </p><p>Jane squeezed B.’s arm as she felt a light cramping in her stomach, but she couldn’t tell if it was due to nerves or pregnancy. She looked to him and he looked down to her. </p><p>“Are you okay ?” he asked. </p><p>“Mhm,” she reassured. “Stomach cramps.” </p><p>“You’re not in labor, are you ?” he asked. “We have to tell someone if you are.” </p><p>“No, they’re not close enough together to be contractions,” Jane reassured. “I’m fine.” </p><p>“Are you sure ?” he asked.  </p><p>She nodded and nudged him forward as Tim and Sabrina were halfway up the grassy field aisle, which meant that it was their cue to head out, before the D.J switched to the Bridal Chorus. Jane took a deep breath in and held it in her chest as they walked up the aisle. She did a quick glance to the side to see Melanoff and Nanny, with their eyes on the both of them. </p><p>Melanoff gave her and B. a thumbs up and Nanny gave her a wave, both with a warm smile on their face. </p><p>Jane simply did a quick wave back before she focused her attention back to her job, which ended by B. and herself splitting to stand on the side for bridesmaids. She looked down the aisle once she saw Patience emerge with her dad, over the field, and the Bridal Chorus began to play. She did a quick look over at A., to see if he cried or not, and he indeed brushed a few tears from his face upon the sight of his future wife. She also noticed that it looked like Tim was doing the same thing as her. </p><p>Little did she know that he looked at her, to try and see if she was panicking due to Nanny and Melanoff being only a few feet away from her, but then he couldn’t stop. She was just so . . . pretty. Now, it wasn’t a romantic attraction, of course, but he hadn’t ever noticed her in this way – he always thought of her as beautiful, because she was his sister, but Tim had never seen her as a beautiful <strong><em>woman</em></strong>. Maybe it was because he had seen her with bed hair and drool stains, but never all done up like this, besides prom, but he was too focused on Queen to even care about what she looked like.  </p><p>He shook his head once the ceremony began, so he could listen to the vows and such. </p><p>The beginning was rather long, and boring, as the officiant explained the meaning of weddings and marriage, and the obvious fact that Patience and A. were in love, and everyone was gathered at the place with them to celebrate the love between A. and Patience. They asked whether anyone had any objections to the union between the two of them, and thankfully, Fannie Martinelli didn’t come up the aisle to try and get her slab of meat – I mean, her man back, which left everyone else and nobody had any heavy objections against the marriage of the two. </p><p>Jane winced at the feeling of her stomach, as it cramped for a short period of time again. She did her very best not to make a face or a noise as she held her stomach. It was just the nerves, Nanny and Melanoff were right in front of her, and even though she really wanted to avoid them all night, she knew that eventually she would have to talk to them, unless she were to go into labor at the reception, but she knew that was rather unlikely. </p><p>Finally, they made it to the vows, and Patience was handed a book by her mother, who came from the front row of seats to bring the book to her. </p><p>Patience opened the book and began to read off of it. </p><p>“A., I remember the first time I saw you, I didn’t think much of you – I thought you were a dumb dope that didn’t know what they were doin’ at a Farmer’s Market, I mean you were, but that’s not really the point I’m tryin’ to make here,” she started. </p><p>People in the crowd let off a few soft laughs at the first part of her vows. </p><p>“I never knew that one day, the dope that kept comin’ to my booth to buy beets he never even ate, would end up bein’ one of the most important people in my life, I never would’ve thought that we would share so many memories, from buildin’ a horse stable for our ponies, to goin’ down a zipline in Vegas – even though I didn’t exactly want to,” she continued. </p><p>She stopped to wipe a few tears away from her eyes and laugh to herself. </p><p>“I promise, as your wife, to always be there for you, when you’re sad and upset or when you’re happy and lovin’ life. I promise to be sad with you, and I promise to live my life to the fullest with you. I promise to stay by your side, no matter what comes our way, and I promise to lift you up and never tear you down. I promise to take care of you when you’re sick, and even when you’re not sick, and I promise to make you fried chicken and macaroni whenever you want it,” she finished. “I love you, Barnaby Alan Willoughby. You were made to be the man for me, and I will always try to be the perfect woman for you. This ring will forever be a symbol of my undyin’ love for you, but even if you lose it, I’ll still love you – though I might beat you before we go to a jewelry shop to get you another one.” </p><p>Nanny brought up a piece of notebook paper that she handed to A., and he unfolded it before he straightened out the folds of the paper. He cleared his throat and quickly read over the paper. </p><p>“Look, I didn’t like beets, and I don’t know what the point of a Farmer’s Market was, I just went to go, and I pretended to know how to pick a honeydew by smelling it, before the booth’s owner told me to put it down, and I know he really just meant ‘Stop’. I was honestly just about to leave, but then . . . I saw you,” he started. </p><p>“You were wearing a white tank top and a denim skirt, there were monarch butterflies around the booth, and I honestly thought monarch butterflies were a myth up until that moment, and it took me a few minutes to convince myself that both you and those butterflies were real, and you were right in front of me. I didn’t know what to say, so I chickened out and left,” he continued. </p><p>The crowd laughed at his story. </p><p>“I paced around my apartment, and I practiced a greeting, with everything from a hello, and then I attempted to learn French, because apparently that’s the language of love. Now, I don’t remember anything outside of the word ‘papillon’, which means ‘butterfly’ in French,” he claimed. “But, when I went up to the booth, with a greeting and a conversation rehearsed in my mind, like I was the lead role of a soap opera, I completely forgot everything I had practiced the past week, and I panicked before I simply ordered beets, even though I don’t like them because they make your pee turn red. I mean, I believed I got bladder cancer and was dying the first time I ate them.” </p><p>He sighed to himself before he rubbed the back of his neck. </p><p>“But I’m not here to talk about beets, and red piss, or at least, that’s not the reason I’m here – I did kind of ramble about them for a solid few minutes,” he noted. </p><p>The crowd laughed. </p><p>“I’m here to tell everyone how amazing you, Patience Hope Johnson, soon to be Willoughby, are, because everyone here deserves to know what a lively, fun – loving, and caring person you are. You are beautiful on the inside and it shines all the way through to the outside. You are a walking ray of sunshine here on earth, which is why I wonder what you’re doing here with me a majority of the time. You have been there to calm me down when I get upset, and you are there to snuggle me and cuddle me like the big baby I can be on my down days. You have been the light of my life, and I knew when we started dating, the only way this relationship could possibly end would be if one of us died. I couldn’t imagine any of us dying, so I knew that I had to marry you some day, and that day is finally here.” </p><p>He stopped to catch himself from crying, and apologized before he continued, and took her wedding band from the ring bearer. </p><p>“With this ring, I wanted to make you my papillon forever, because you are my mythical butterfly. I want to wake up every morning next to you, and go to bed cuddling you every night, even if you are a little scary without your makeup on,” he teased. “I wanted to show the world that I am yours, and you are mine. I want to be with you for the rest of my life, and I have never felt that way about anyone, until I saw you at that Farmer’s Market that I still can’t seem to understand the point of.” </p><p>He looked at the piece of paper before he sniffled and managed to laugh. </p><p>“I wrote my vows down.” </p><p>The crowd laughed. </p><p>“But, we’d be here all night if I kept reading, and considering that we’re having brisket for the reception, I know you’d choke me out if I let it get cold,” he finished. “And I think I’ve said everything I’ve wanted to and more. I love you, Patience Hope Johnson, and I hope you’re stuck with this dumb dope of a husband for the rest of our lives.” </p><p>They exchanged the rings and held eachother’s hands as they looked into eachother’s eyes. </p><p>“Patience, do you take Barnaby to be your lawfully wedded husband ?” </p><p>“I do.” </p><p>“Barnaby, do you take Patience to be your lawfully wedded wife ?” </p><p>“I do.” </p><p>“By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I pronounce you man and wife,” the officiant declared. “You may now kiss the bride.” </p><p>He turned and picked Patience up by her legs, before they kissed eachother. </p><p>“I now introduce Mister and Missus Barnaby Alan Willoughby !!” </p><p>He carried Patience down the aisle, back to the cottage everyone got changed in, and the parties followed them back. Isaac gave Ruth a piggyback ride back to the cottage ( and they would later find out that it was because her heel snapped during her walk up ), Tim lead Sabrina back, and B. lead Jane back. </p><p>She stopped for a moment halfway to the cottage and held her stomach. </p><p>“Jane, are you okay ?” he asked. “Is your stomach still cramping ?” </p><p>She nodded in agreement. </p><p>“Just got to make it through the reception,” she reassured. “I think I’ll take an antacid when I get back. Maybe it’s the bacon and eggs I ate this morning.” </p><p>“You’re sure ?” B. asked. </p><p>“Yeah,” she confirmed. “I’m sure.” </p><p>They finished their walk down to the cottage and saw that everyone high – fived and hugged at the successful wedding. They all laughed and joked about how everything went and talked about what was going to happen next. </p><p>“I didn’t even think about alcohol the entire time,” Tim announced. </p><p>“Well, we still got the reception to go,” A. reminded. “So keep it up.” </p><p>Tim let off a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. A. had a point, he had to face the biggest challenge of them all soon, open bar, where everyone else besides a few people would be drinking, possibly to the point of being piss drunk. He did great in Vegas, all he would have to do is push it further. He could do it, he knew he could. </p><p>“A., stop giving him a hard time,” Jane commented. “We want to enjoy the day, we don’t need you and Tim to argue before we even get to the reception.” </p><p>“You’re right,” A. sighed. “Anyways, if anyone has to use the bathroom or fix their makeup and stuff, we should do it now. The horse carriage is going to be here any minute to pick us up and take us to the barn for the reception.” </p><p>“I damn near talked my lipstick off,” Patience said. “Any of y’all need a touch up ?” </p><p>“I need to change my shoes,” Ruth commented. “My heel broke off in the fields.” </p><p>“You got a pair of flats ?” Patience asked. </p><p>“I have a pair that you could borrow,” Sabrina claimed. “That is if you need some.” </p><p>“I got some,” Ruth answered. “But your eyeliner’s smudged.” </p><p>“Shit,” Sabrina sighed. </p><p>Patience and the two other bridesmaids went inside the dressing room, while Jane sat on the couch and Tim sat next to her. </p><p>“You don’t have to go to the bathroom ?” he asked. </p><p>“No, but can you get me an antacid out of my purse ?” she asked. </p><p>He got up and went to her purse that sat by the front door before he pulled out the chewable antacid tablets and took one from the container. He went back around the couch and put it in her hand for her to chew up and swallow. </p><p>“I should not have eaten all that breakfast this morning,” she sighed. “I think that bacon messed my stomach up.” </p><p>“Are you going to puke or ?” he asked. </p><p>“I keep getting these stomach cramps and . . . ugh . . .” she sighed. “I wish we had enough time to take a nap, but then I’d nap all my makeup off.” </p><p>“I would say that you could nap on my shoulder in the carriage ride,” Tim started. “But this suit is kind of light, and I know that your makeup would definitely show up on it.” </p><p>She leaned on him and sighed. </p><p>He put his hand on her stomach and pressed in, before he felt a little bit of movement under her skin, due to Taffeta. He smiled and sighed as he felt her move. </p><p>“Are you sure you’re not in the beginning stages of labor ?” he asked. “I heard that they’re a lot like period cramps, not that I would know what that feels like, but . . .” </p><p>“No, I’m sure it’s just nerves,” she responded. “I mean, I literally just saw Nanny and Melanoff after years of not talking to them, and I’m sure they’re going to talk to me at the reception. Can you just stay close by, just in case they do end up talking to me ? I know I won’t be able to do it alone.” </p><p>“You got it,” he confirmed. “I know it’ll be hard doing it alone. I’m not particularly crazy about being alone at the wedding either.” </p><p>“You’re telling me,” she commented. </p><p>Patience, Ruth, and Sabrina came out of the dressing room, before Patience announced that they were all ready to go to the barn for the reception. As if on cue the brown wooden carriage arrived at the front of the cottage and everyone loaded inside the carriage before they had to take a seat for the thirty minute ride over there. </p><p>“So, I’m officially Patience Hope Willoughby,” Patience commented. “It feels great !! When I signed the papers this mornin’ it felt amazin’ to use my new signature, it felt natural. Maybe because I’ve been writin’ it a whole lot. Y’all ever practice your signature with someone else’s name ?” </p><p>“I couldn’t figure mine out for awhile after I married Andrew, because I wasn’t quite sure if I wanted to be ‘Isaac Josiah Perez’ or ‘Isaac Josiah Perez – Johnson’,” Isaac said. “I ultimately liked my signature a whole lot more as ‘Isaac Josiah Perez’, so that’s what I became. It’s nice to have the last name of someone you love.” </p><p>Tim gagged at the notion. </p><p>“Imagine the man taking the woman’s surname in a heterosexual marriage,” he said. “I could not imagine being ‘Timothy Anthony Malachy Kennicott – Willoughby’.” </p><p>“I could not live with a name like ‘Jane Florence Elizabeth Baker’,” Jane agreed. “I feel like you can always tell whether or not a marriage would work out if your name works with their last name.” </p><p>“Hm, the last name of the last guy I hooked up with was ‘Kennedy’,” Sabrina said. “Yeah, I’m not too big a fan of ‘Sabrina Bethany Kennedy’. I prefer ‘Sabrina Bethany Nietzsche’ way more.” </p><p>“You wouldn’t choose another name to try ?” B. asked. </p><p>She paused for a moment and let off a thoughtful ‘hm’. </p><p>“Okay, ‘Sabrina Bethany Willoughby’ isn’t too bad,” she agreed. “If that’s what you were insinuating.” </p><p>He nodded and gave her a smile. </p><p>“Don’t you wish that they would just kiss already ?” Jane asked, as she leaned over to Tim. </p><p>“It’ll happen,” he reassured. “Maybe it might take a little bit of liquid courage, but trust me, it’ll happen.” </p><p>They soon arrived at the venue, where cars were parked around the bar, and the smell of soul food filled the air and reached outside. Music could be heard inside, and they got out of the carriage. </p><p>“So, they’re gonna introduce us, and they’re gonna start with Ruth and Isaac,” Patience explained. “Then Tim and Sabrina, Jane and B., and then it’ll be us. Like at the weddin’, got it ?” </p><p>Everyone agreed with her as they lined up in the order of the wedding, the carriage driver went inside to tell the D.J that they had arrived and to announce the wedding party as they came into the room.</p><p>                One they heard the D.J announce that the party had arrived, Ruth and Isaac were the first ones to head in, followed by Tim and Sabrina, as well as Jane and B., before the D.J announced the arrival of the newlyweds, to which everyone clapped and cheered for as they entered the room and waved to everyone.</p><p>                Jane held her stomach before she plopped down in her assigned seat at the long table up front. She winced as she felt another cramp, and furrowed her eyebrows. That one had to be the most intense one she had felt today. If her stomach kept it up, she would surely vomit.</p><p>                They all took their places in order to have their drinks served as well as their meal orders taken, as A. and Sabrina had an assortment of pork ribs, brisket, and t – bone steaks, as well as baked potatoes, macaroni, corn on the cob, and coleslaw as sides.</p><p>                Jane placed in her order before they were all served champagne ( with sparkling white grape juice at the needs of others, like the minors, pregnant women like Jane, and recovering alcoholics like Tim ).</p><p>                Patience and A. stood in front of the table, before they were handed the microphones.</p><p>                “Everyone, can we have your attention ?” Patience announced.</p><p>                “We wanted our best man and maid of honor to do their speeches while everyone started to dig in,” A. explained. “That way we can have an endless flow to our party.”</p><p>                “Excuse me !!”</p><p>                There was a man that walked through the door, and he waved to everyone in the room. He was a dirty blonde, with freckles, a clean cut jawline, and a very punchable perfect face.</p><p>                “I just wanted to let my sis up here know that me and my fiancée have arrived,” he announced. “Anyways, carry on with the speeches, I’m sure these people wouldn’t like to listen to people ramble the entire time. This is a party, you know ?”</p><p>                He then lead in a larger, darker skin woman, and her appearance made Tim freeze immediately. It couldn’t be her. It shouldn’t have been her. Out of all women, why did it have to be her ?</p><p>                “Queen . . .” he whispered to himself.</p><p>                Tim looked down the table at his sister, as he begged for her to stay at the table with him, but he knew it wasn’t possible. His hands shook as he lifted the cup. It seemed like the juice wouldn’t stay still. Maybe a glass of wine would calm his nerves, and make him not care so much. What was one glass going to do ? One glass wouldn’t hurt anybody !!</p><p>                “Tim, are you okay ?” Isaac asked. “You look like you saw a ghost.”</p><p>                “Isaac !!” Tim exclaimed. “Why don’t we just . . . switch drinks ? I promise I’ll get you a glass of wine from the bar later to make up for it.”</p><p>                “Did A. say somethin’ about you and drinkin’ ?” Isaac asked.</p><p>                “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Tim hushed. “Just give me your drink, don’t ask any questions.”</p><p>                Isaac gave Tim his glass before he took the glass of white grape juice away from him.</p><p>                Tim immediately took the champagne flute to his lips, and he was about to chug the entire thing – but no, he couldn’t. He couldn’t look suspicious, after all. He had to act like he had his juice in his hand, and besides, he was only going to have one drink, and that was it. It wasn’t like he had a bottle in his hand, right ?</p><p>                Jane finally got up from her seat as B. motioned for her to join him at the front of the room. She didn’t even practice her bridesmaid speech !! She was going to have to wing it, which shouldn’t have been hard, and the longer she and B. were up there, the less time she would have to spend avoiding Nanny and Melanoff. She could just spout word vomit and call it a speech, and people were too inebriated to really care about how emotional and heartfelt the speech was. She was Patience’s dad shuffle to get back to his seat and he already had a wine stain on his shirt, just as A. predicted.</p><p>                “You go first,” she insisted. “You have your cards.”</p><p>                He nodded in agreement and looked at his first card, before he took the microphone from Patience. He tapped the microphone to make sure the thing was on, before he cleared his throat.</p><p>                “Hello everyone, I’m B., the best man, and yes, there’s a reason we’re called ‘A.’ and ‘B.’,” he joked.</p><p>                He motioned to himself and his twin brother to show off their identical resemblance, which caused the crowd to chuckle among themselves.</p><p>                “But, it’s a long story, and we’ll be here all night if I sat there talking about it all from the beginning, what I’m here to talk about is my brother and his amazing new fiancée,” B. explained. “Sometimes I wondered why I wasn’t the one that got married first, and for the longest time I was convinced that it was because I didn’t have abs so chiseled that you could grate cheese on them, but I had a brain. My brother here is quite the opposite.”</p><p>                He flipped to the next card before he shook his head and stuffed them back into his suit pocket.</p><p>                “Forget about those,” he said. “Anyways, I always thought that the only reason I didn’t have a girlfriend was because I wasn’t handsome enough, but then we had our bachelor party in Vegas, where a great friend of mine told me that she liked me for who I was and not how I looked, and then I started to see my brother differently.”</p><p>                He looked back at Patience and A. before he smiled and looked back at the crowd.</p><p>                “He helped Patience into her pajamas on nights where she was too tipsy to do it herself, and he would help her put her shoes on even when she could do it by herself. I watched them cuddle, just because the other one seemed a little upset, and they even did that god awful disgusting kissing while eating spaghetti thing at one of our dinners,” B. continued. “I realized that he wasn’t just a great guy, but a good man too. Patience has really helped him become the man I know he always wanted to be. She’s brought out the absolute best in my brother that I never really knew existed up until this point, because everyone who knows us knows that one time he dropped me off at the welcome mat of my apartment complex after a night of drinking and expected me to find my own way back.”</p><p>                The crowd laughed again.</p><p>                “I’m happy that my brother found someone like Patience, and I can fully say without lying that I am very happy, and our family is very lucky to have someone was amazing as her as a part of our family,” he commented. “I know they have found their soulmates, and I know that the rest of their time on earth together will be spent well. To the happy couple, and best wishes to their marriage !!”</p><p>                He lifted his champagne flute for everyone to take a drink.</p><p>                Tim knew that this was his cue, and he tilted his head back, before he shivered at the taste of soft liquor as it hit his tongue and drown his senses. He even got goosebumps from how excited he was. His thoughts didn’t quite make sense, as it all sounded like baby babble to even himself, before he snapped out of this alcohol induced trance and took the flute away from his mouth and wiped his lips to stop the saliva from pooling at the edges of his mouth. If he were an animal, he would be foaming at that moment in time. He wanted to finish it, but Jane needed to finish her speech and he knew his cover couldn’t be blown. They would know he was drinking again, and any chance he’d have to get more would be ruined !!</p><p>                Jane took the microphone from her brother and blew over top, as not to create that dastardly thumping noise in the microphone like B. did.</p><p>                “Hi everybody, I’m Jane, A.’s sister, and Patience’s maid of honor,” Jane introduced. “I forgot my cards in my purse, so I might just have to wing it while I’m up here.”</p><p>                The crowd laughed, as if they thought she was joking.</p><p>                “Anyways, I met Patience maybe about a month after she and A. started dating, which I’m sad that I couldn’t have met her earlier, but I had other things on my mind, which with everyone’s awesome, rose – colored hindsight binoculars seems absolutely stupid,” she claimed. “But I had finally gotten a chance to go to A.’s apartment, and meet this new girl he had met, without lugging a one hundred and fifty pound tumor – I mean, ex – boyfriend along . . . well, he sure felt like a tumor to me.”</p><p>                She heard a few laughs here and there, but she was also met with a few confused faces.</p><p>                Jane gave an awkward smile to the crowd before she hissed and held her stomach through a cramp again.</p><p>                She laughed quietly to herself before she caught her breath.</p><p>                “Sorry, cramps,” she explained. “Pregnancy, am I right, moms ?”</p><p>                That earned a few laughs and claps from the mothers out in the crowd.</p><p>                “Anyways, I got to A.’s apartment, and the house automatically smelled like baby back ribs, so I assumed he went to a place an town and got ribs for everyone, but there she was inside, cooking a whole buffet just for the three of us,” Jane continued. “I felt like I was dreaming, because there was this pretty, sane – looking, dirty blonde girl in A.’s house, cooking for him. For a minute I thought he hired someone to cook, so he could impress his new girlfriend, and then she introduced herself – Patience.”</p><p>                She looked behind herself and smiled at both her brother and his new wife.</p><p>                “I honestly thought I was dreaming, because for the life of me, after his last girlfriend ?” Jane asked. “I couldn’t believe a girl like her actually wanted to be with her. I thought she was going to be like all the other girls, who only liked him for his nice bod and handsome – ish face. She ended up proving me wrong though, because she actually enjoyed cooking for him, and she seemed to love kissing him, hugging him, snuggling him, and calling him ‘honey’, and the last thing I ever heard a girl call my brother was ‘dumbass’.”</p><p>                She pretended to think for a moment.</p><p>                “Okay, I may have been the one to call him that, but still,” she joked.</p><p>                The crowd laughed.</p><p>                “Patience actually seemed to like him, and I was honestly happy for the both of them, when he decided to finally put a ring on her, because cosmos knows that she deserves it,” she claimed. “And to be honest, and don’t go around telling everyone I said this, he does too. I never believed in soulmates until . . .”</p><p>                She paused for a minute and took a quick glance back at Tim, before she focused her attention on A. and Patience and shook her head to get her thoughts back on track.</p><p>                “Until I saw these two in action,” she said. “They are one of the sappiest, most romantic couples I have ever come across, with Patience being sappy enough to write her new signature about a million times before she signed the wedding papers, because she wanted to make sure it all looked perfect before she signed the official documents. But, they’re one of those couples that make you believe in love again, even when you were so far into the pit of thinking that love was a dead concept and that it wasn’t a real thing anymore.”</p><p>                This earned a few ‘aw’s from the crowd.</p><p>                Jane lifted her glass to the air and gave everyone a smile, before she winced at another cramp, but she still refused to break character. It lasted a little longer than the last few cramps she had so it took the feeling of B., as he wrapped an arm around her waist.</p><p>                “Mmh,” she muttered. “To many years of a happy marriage for A. and Patience !!”</p><p>                “Cheers !!” a few people in the crowd agreed.</p><p>                Tim knew that it was time for his long awaited moment as he downed the last of the champagne flute. He didn’t even feel like Queen’s presence could bother him in the slightest !! If one flute of champagne did that, imagine what another one could do ? Oh, it would work wonders !! He would forget everything that had been stressing him out, the launch of the Chocolate Egg app tomorrow morning, Taffeta’s impending birth, his divorce. He would be a new man, if only for a night !! He chugged the rest of the champagne flute, and let off a pleased sigh at the feeling of familiar warmth that it gave him. It was like he was never worried in the first place.</p><p>                “So, do you want another drink, Isaac ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Are you okay, Tim ?” Isaac asked. “You’re actin’ a little strange.”</p><p>                “Never been better !!” Tim exclaimed. “Anyways, cocktails ? Wine ?”</p><p>                “I’ll take a glass of wine if you’re offerin’,” Isaac answered.</p><p>                “Awesome, I’ll be right back.”</p><p>                Jane squeezed onto B. as she straightened her posture.</p><p>                “Are you okay ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Just follow me to the bathroom,” she said.</p><p>                “I don’t think I’m allowed in the girl’s bathroom,” B. commented. “Do you want me to wait outside or - ?”</p><p>                “I feel like I’m going to throw up,” she claimed. “You might need to hold my hair back if I do.”</p><p>                “Are you sure it was the bacon ?” he asked.</p><p>                “I don’t know,” she huffed. “Just follow me.”</p><p>                She dragged him towards the women’s restroom, and managed to pull him inside, while he waited outside of the stall, just in case she needed him there. Jane paced around the handicapped stall of the bathroom, and held her stomach, as another cramp came over her. She let off a groan and held herself against the wall, before she felt something wet come down her leg. She looked down to see a pinkish liquid on the floor. It took her a minute to decipher that what was on the floor was indeed from her, and that it was not pee.</p><p>                “B. ?” she asked, her voice rose with panic.</p><p>                “Yeah ?”</p><p>                “I think my water just broke.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Adomania / Go Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝ </p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕪 – 𝔽𝕠𝕦𝕣 : </p><p>𝔸𝕕𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕒 / 𝔾𝕠 𝕋𝕚𝕞𝕖 </p><p>◟ 　   　　◞ </p><p> </p><p>                Five drinks. Tim was five drinks of vodka cocktails and glasses of wine in. He didn’t quite feel as good as he did after his first drink of champagne. He was outside the whole event, on the bridge that was over the koi pond that A. and Patience forked a lot of money out for. He didn’t really notice a lot . . . care about a lot. He could barely even recognize the song that played from the D.J booth, he couldn’t quite remember that he was at the wedding, and he sure as hell had no idea that Jane was currently at the hospital, in labor with their baby.</p><p>                “Where’s Tim ?” A. asked Isaac inside. “Where’s B. and Jane ?”</p><p>                Isaac sipped on the mimosa he had in his hand as he texted someone back on his phone.</p><p>                “I saw Jane and B. leave together for something, I think she was sick,” Isaac answered. “And Tim’s out by the koi pond . . .”</p><p>                Isaac paused for a minute before he rose an eyebrow at him.</p><p>                “You should really go check on him.”</p><p>                Immediately, the alarms went off in his head as A. pulled out his phone as he walked to the koi pond, where he saw his brother with a wine glass in his hand. On the other end of the line, B. picked up the phone.</p><p>                “What’s going on ?” A. asked. “Is Jane okay ?”</p><p>                “We’re at the hospital,” B. answered. “Jane’s three centimeter’s dilated – she might have the baby <strong><em>tonight</em></strong>, or at the latest, <strong><em>tomorrow</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “<strong><em>Shit</em></strong>,” A. muttered to himself. “Tim’s <strong><em><span class="u">drunk</span></em></strong>.”</p><p>                “Oh my god,” B. groaned. “Well, can you make him un – drunk ? He needs to be here for the baby !!”</p><p>                “Do I look like a wizard to you ?” A. asked. “I don’t know how much he drank but, knowing him, he’s probably had way more than just one or two drinks.”</p><p>                “You have to get him out of there,” B. pointed out. “Before he embarrasses himself or anyone else. Try and sober him up, so he can actually be present for the birth of the baby ?”</p><p>                “What’s going on ?”</p><p>                That was Jane.</p><p>                “Nothing, nothing,” A. lied. “How are you doing ?”</p><p>                “I’m – nngh !! Okay,” she answered.. “The contractions aren’t too bad. Tim isn’t answering his phone, can you find him ?”</p><p>                “Oh, uh, he’s –“ A. paused. “He’s in the bathroom.”</p><p>                “Oh, well, when you see him, tell him to get his butt to the hospital,” she said. “He promised he’d be there.”</p><p>                He managed to laugh before he sighed.</p><p>                “Yeah, yeah, I’ll tell him,” A. lied again. “Good luck !!”</p><p>                He hung up his phone before she could get another word in, before he walked up the curved wooden floor of the bridge. He was hit with the smell of mixed alcohol, and if he didn’t already expect that, he would’ve gagged . . . <strong><em>hard</em></strong>. He grabbed his brother by his shoulder, which caused Tim to stumble and hiccup.</p><p>                “How much ?” he asked. “How much have you drank ?”</p><p>                “Sss only m’ second one,” Tim answered. “You’re – hic !! You’re bein’ overdramatic, ‘n told ya’ you could truss m’.”</p><p>                The twin sighed, and rubbed his temples as he looked at his absolutely hammered older brother. He wanted to tackle him and choke him to death right then and there on that porch. Tim was simply luckily that he had taken his medication for today, and that the effects hadn’t worn of, because of how angry he was right now, he definitely would’ve murdered his own brother in cold blood if he hadn’t, and that was no exaggeration.</p><p>                “Tim, Jane’s in labor,” he attempted to reason. “We need to go back to the cottage, and get you sobered up.”</p><p>                “She could juss do what ya’ said, ‘n close ‘er – hic !! Legs,” Tim joked. “Rude, she’d do that at a weddin’.”</p><p>                “It’s kind of rude that you’d do this at the wedding !!” A. shouted.</p><p>                “Hey !! Lame !!” Tim yelled back. “Don’t yell a’ m’.”</p><p>                His brother wiped on of the few angry tears that threatened to fall from his face, before he sniffled and sighed.</p><p>                “We have to get you out of here,” A. started.</p><p>                “Well, if you’ll excusse m’,” Tim started. “Think ‘m might pass out.”</p><p>                Tim stumbled back to the railing of the wooden gate and braced it before his arms went limp and he fell face forward into the koi pond. Luckily he rolled over, so he wouldn’t have drown in almost a foot of water.</p><p>                “Yeah,” A. agreed. “You do that.”</p><p>                He knew he couldn’t just leave the wedding without telling anyone, and he needed a car to get back down to the cottage. Thankfully, Nanny and Melanoff had come in the truck ( and Melanoff rode in the bed of the truck because it was hard for that behemoth of a man to fit comfortably in any vehicle ), so he could ask them for their keys, and he could simply tell Patience to keep the crowd busy.</p><p>                He walked inside to see that Nanny was currently at the dessert bar, as she got a serving of chocolate covered marshmallows from the chocolate fountain. He tapped her on her shoulder.</p><p>                “Hey mom,” he greeted.</p><p>                She turned to face him before she wrapped him up in a hug, which he reluctantly returned, as he simply wanted to get the keys and go, because someone will see Tim in the pond sooner or later.</p><p>                “Oh, I’m so proud of you,” she crooned. “You really pulled off an amazing wedding all by yourself. It’s bittersweet to see you kids grow up into the people you’ve become – speaking of you kids, where’s Jane ? I wanted to talk to her about the baby, but I haven’t seen her since the speeches – or your brothers for that matter !!”</p><p>                “Uhm, Tim isn’t feeling so well,” A. lied. “But Jane – she uh . . .”</p><p>                “Is she okay ?” Nanny asked. “Did she have to go back to the cottage ? I could go down there and take care of her while you enjoy the wedding. I’m sure your dad won’t mind if I miss out on a few slow dances.”</p><p>                “No, I got it,” A. insisted. ”But can I borrow the truck ? I think I should take Tim back to the cottage, so he can rest for the night. I’d rather him not puke in front of anyone.”</p><p>                “A., please, I got it –“</p><p>                “No, mom, please,” A. started. “Just stay here, enjoy the party, Patience and I worked our butts off just to make it amazing for everyone here. I’d honestly take offense if you didn’t stay !!”</p><p>                “Are you sure you got it ?” Nanny asked. “If you need help, call us, and let us know. We’ll be over faster than you can say ‘Lickety – Split’.”</p><p>                She rummaged through her purse, before she handed A. the keys to the truck.</p><p>                “And don’t scrape up the paint on it, we just got a new paint job last week after Ruth had a little bit of a fiasco in the parking lot of the Save – Mart,” Nanny teased. “Drive safe.”</p><p>                “You got it, mom,” he dismissed.</p><p>                He left Nanny, before he went to the dancefloor to find Patience. He tapped his wife on the shoulder and noticed that she glared at Queen.</p><p>                “Hey honey,” A. said.</p><p>                “Yes darlin’ ?” she asked. “Look at her, fat tub of lard.”</p><p>                Now that she mentioned it, Queen did look bigger for some reason unbeknownst to him.</p><p>                “Uhm, I hate to tell you this, but can you keep everyone entertained for awhile – I have to go,” he said.</p><p>                “Where ya’ goin’ ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Tim’s drunk – passed out in the koi pond and B. took Jane to the hospital,” he explained.</p><p>                “Jane’s in the - ?” she started, much louder than she should’ve.</p><p>                “Shh !!” A. exclaimed. “I don’t want everyone to know what’s going on, if anyone asks where we are, Jane and Tim weren’t feeling well so B. and I took them back to the cottage to rest, and we’re taking care of them.”</p><p>                “Oh, so Tim’s drinking again, while Jane’s in labor ?”</p><p>                Both Patience and A. turned around wide – eyed as they saw Ruth, and she danced with one of Patience’s nieces. She looked up at A. and gave him a devilish smirk.</p><p>                “I’m going to tell mom.”</p><p>                “Like hell you are !!” A. exclaimed. “Don’t tell her, I have it under control, and I don’t need her and dad freaking out over everything and causing a scene at the wedding.”</p><p>                “It’s going to take more than a sob story to entertain me,” she said.</p><p>                “I’ll let you have whatever you want from the dessert table !!” Patience bribed. “All the chocolate strawberries, marshmallows, gumballs, anything – I’ll even let you have a wine cooler if you don’t tell your mom.”</p><p>                “Make it two wine coolers,” Ruth said.</p><p>                “Oh, don’t make me punch a child, Ruth,” Patience warned. “Ladies don’t start fights but they’ll sure finish them, and I will snap you in half like a toothpick.”</p><p>                “<strong><em>Three</em></strong> wine coolers.”</p><p>                “Fine, <strong><em>two</em></strong>,” Patience gave in. “But you can’t tell anyone where you got them from.”</p><p>                “Thank you, honey,” A. whispered. “You’re a life saver.”</p><p>                He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, before he made his way off the dancefloor and back outside, where Tim still laid, as he was unconscious and snored. A. sighed as he took his socks and shoes off and waded into the koi pond, and shivered at the feeling of fish lips and scales being near his feet. He grabbed Tim’s wrists and pulle him up before he put his brother’s arm around him. It was like he carried a dead horse on his back, and luckily A. managed to focus more on sobering Tim up and getting him to the hospital,  or else he would be – dead, at least.</p><p>                He flipped Tim back into the backseat of the truck, before he got into the driver’s seat and pulled away from the wedding.</p><p>---</p><p>                Jane paced around the hospital room, and wheeled the equipment such as her I.V drip and monitors she was hooked up to around with her. She looked up at B., who had put the hood of a jacket he borrowed from her on his head. She let off a quiet laugh and shook her head.</p><p>                “Have you gotten any updates on A. and Tim ?” Jane asked. “I mean, Tim did promise he’d be here. I know he was excited for our baby to be born, he even had to check her crib about seven million times before today, and he reorganized her stuffed animals and bookshelf about sixty – hundred.”</p><p>                The twin looked at his phone to see that A. had texted him that he was at the cottage and he had tried everything from coffee to a cold shower, but in the end, Tim was still sloshed. A. claimed that Tim cried himself to sleep, about everything he could, about how he was a piece of shit, and that everyone should’ve already known that, etcetera. He sighed before he looked to Jane, and the look on his face said everything.</p><p>                “Oh . . .” she whispered. “He didn’t – He couldn’t have – He was doing so well . . .”</p><p>                He felt himself begin to panic as he saw the tear that filled her eyes, but he could tell that she wasn’t mad, but disappointed. The only thing he really knew to do at the moment, was hold his arms open for his sister. He wasn’t going to force her, because he knew that if he did, she would get angry.</p><p>                She went and wrapped her arms around B., but she couldn’t stop herself from crying. The pillowy, warm comfort of B.’s kind of, almost dad bod, wasn’t the same as a hug from Tim. She missed his weird skeleton hand on her back, and the smell of the berry shampoo he stole from her. She missed the feeling of his polos, and the sound of his voice that told her everything was going to be okay.</p><p>                It wasn’t okay.</p><p>                The twin did his best to provide the love she needed in that moment, because he wasn’t used to Jane crying. He was used to her getting angry, and snapping at him and A. for breathing the wrong way. He was used to hearing her dance and laugh to the music that played on the radio, but crying ? He didn’t think she was even capable of crying like this. He didn’t quite know what to say.</p><p>                “Hey,” he started. “I know it’s not much, but I’ll be here for you.”</p><p>                “E – Even when I have to give birth ?” she asked.</p><p>                He froze at the thought. If he had to assist in the birth, he would have to see everything. B. didn’t know if he was ready to see that . . . but he was sure, in that moment, he was too far in to back out. He might just have to bang his head against a wall to try and get the image of his sister giving birth out of his mind.</p><p>                His phone buzzed, and Jane pulled back.</p><p>                “You should . . .” she started. “You should probably take that.”</p><p>                “I promise I’m not trying to ignore you,” he reassured. “It might be about Tim.”</p><p>                “No, no, take it,” she agreed.</p><p>                He opened his phone to see that Sabrina called him, and he answered.</p><p>                “Hey, what’s up ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Patience got arrested,” Sabrina said. “I’m going to bail her out of jail, but don’t let your brother kno – Holy shit !! She’s making a run for it !!”</p><p>                “What happened ?” B. asked.</p><p>                “She got into a fight with her brother’s fiancée and apparently she was pregnant,” Sabrina explained. “The fight put her into labor, and – wait – Patience !!”</p><p>                Then the line went dead.</p><p>                “Sabrina ?” he asked. “Hello ?”</p><p>                “What happened ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “I don’t know, she hung up on me,” he answered. “Something about Patience fighting Dorian’s fiancée and getting arrested.”</p><p>                “Dorian’s fiancée ?” Jane asked. “Did you see her ? That was totally Queen – she cheated on Tim with Patience’s brother.”</p><p>                “Small world,” B. laughed. “But normally, assholes end up sticking together.”</p><p>                “That’s not true,” Jane claimed. “I have Tim, and A. has Patience, and they aren’t assholes.”</p><p>                “Debatable . . .” B. sighed.</p><p>---</p><p>                “Patience !! You can’t just run from the police, you’ll get in even more trouble !!” Sabrina exclaimed.</p><p>                Patience revved the engine to her dad’s pick – up truck and fully stuffed her dress into the car, before she peeled out of the barn, and onto the backroads of the street, in order to head to the hospital.</p><p>                “There ain’t no way in hell that I’m missin’ the birth of my niece !!” Patience exclaimed. “They can handcuff me to a freakin’ bed for all I care, but they ain’t stoppin’ me from goin’ !! Patience Hope Willoughby ain’t goin’ to jail tonight !!”</p><p>                “You might end up in prison if you get caught !!” Sabrina exclaimed. “Oh shit, my ma is going to be so pissed if I end up in the police station.”</p><p>                “So, what you’re sayin’ is, you want me to gas it ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                Patience lifted her heel off the gas pedal and she lifted her foot in order to slam onto the gas pedal.</p><p>                “Patience, don’t !!”</p><p>                It was too late, the tires steamed due to burnt rubber against the asphalt, and the smell filled the air, as they did about one hundred and forty miles in a ninety miles zone. Luckily most people weren’t on the road, so there was a very low likelihood of anyone getting hurt ( unless a deer decided to prance along the road or cattle was crossing, then they were all rather screwed ).</p><p>                Sabrina held onto the seatbelt for dear life and screamed as she and Patience zipped down the freeway and gradually slowed before they reached town, they ended up parking on First Street, before Patience rummaged through the glove box to find a few quarters to use the parking meter for a good few hours. She found enough saved quarters for four hours, and luckily the meter took them all.</p><p>                “We can’t just walk around in this,” Sabrina reasoned. “We’re going to draw attention to ourselves.”</p><p>                Patience looked to the side to see a thrift shop called ‘Hand – Me – Over’, and she grabbed Sabrina’s hand.</p><p>                “You just grab somethin’ that fits,” Patience instructed. “Now the color of the clothes don’t matter right now, so even if it’s bright neon pink, you grab it and I’ll buy it.”</p><p>                “But our purses are down at the cottage !!” Sabrina exclaimed.</p><p>                Patience opened the passenger side of the truck before she found an envelope she knew her dad had under the seat for emergencies, in case they ever broke down outside of the city and needed a way home. She pulled out fifty dollars from the envelope, before she put it back under the seat. She put the money in her bra and both her and Sabrina went inside the shop, where an old man watched old Westerns on the T.V.</p><p>                She and Sabrina went down their respective size aisles, before they picked the first things they saw on the hangers. Neither of them paid any attention to what they grabbed as they went to the cashier and put their things on the counter.</p><p>                “Do y’all got a dressin’ room here ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “’Fraid not, young lady,” the man answered. “That’ll be fifteen dollars.”</p><p>                Patience pulled out two ten dollar bills from her bra and put them on the table.</p><p>                He rang up her money, before he handed the change back to her.</p><p>                They took their new outfits back to the truck before Patience basically stripped to her underwear out in the middle of the sidewalk, before she slid a cyan t – shirt over her body, that had a gravy stain on the stomach and a picture of a Margarita on the front, with huge screaming letters that read ‘Margaritaville’, and acid washed denim shorts that were frayed and cut up at the bottom. Sabrina changed behind the door and slammed the door shut once they finished hiding their dresses inside.</p><p>                Patience snickered at the outfit Sabrina was in. It was so . . . pink. Sabrina never wore pink, especially pink velvet shorts that had the word ‘Kitten’ written in big cursive letters and blinged out with gaudy rhinestones ( some of which had peeled off ).</p><p>                “We should go and catch a taxi to the hospital,” Patience recommended.</p><p>                “Or I could just QuickDrive us to there,” Sabrina suggested.</p><p>                “What’s a QuickDrive ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “You just go on this phone app, and it let’s you call up one of their drivers –“ Sabrina started to explain.</p><p>                “Oh, that’s a whole lot of trouble, and besides, you’d be gettin’ in the car with a stranger !!” Patience exclaimed. “There’s a taxi station right there !!”</p><p>                Both women went and waited for a taxi to pick them up, and soon one came to the taxi station.</p><p>                “Where ya’ headed ?” the old woman up front asked.</p><p>                “The hospital on the other side of town,” Patience responded.</p><p>                “That’ll be twenty dollars, little missy.”</p><p>                Patience took the next two ten dollar bills out of her bra and put it into the window between them and the old woman. She buckled up her seatbelt, before she looked to Sabrina, who buckled herself but quietly gagged at the smell of coffee and cigarettes that filled the car.</p><p>                “Patience, there is gum on the floor,” Sabrina whispered.</p><p>                “Sabrina, this lady was kind enough to take us to the hospital,” Patience scolded. “We really shouldn’t be carin’ about gum on the floors. Jane’s gonna have this baby soon, and we need to be there for her !!”</p><p>---</p><p>                “Augh !!”</p><p>                Tim shot up from the bed, before he wrapped his fingers in his hair. He looked at the alarm clock to see that it had been four hours since he had started drinking, and he was no longer at the barn for the reception. He looked in front of himself, and there was A. with his arms crossed and even those that didn’t know A. could tell he was one pissed off individual.</p><p>                “What happened ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                His voice was soft and quiet, and he hoped and prayed that all those trips to the bar was nothing more than a vivid fever dream . . . but he knew that was far too good to be true.</p><p>                “Oh god . . .” he whispered. “A., I’m –“</p><p>                “Sorry ?” A. asked. “You got drunk at my wedding, when I specifically asked you not to. You left Jane by herself. You stole Isaac’s drink from him. My <strong><em>god</em></strong>, is there a way you didn’t screw <strong><em><span class="u">everything</span></em></strong> up tonight ?”</p><p>                Tim flinched as if he were a wounded dog, and A. was his owner about to beat him, but he knew he had no right to cower and hide. He made an adult mistake, and he needed to face the consequences of his actions, and if that meant A. was going to beat the ever – living shit out of him, than so be it.</p><p>                “I know you’re angry,” Tim pointed out. “I know you probably want to murder me, and let’s be honest, I deserve it.”</p><p>                “<strong><em>I</em></strong> <strong><em>deserve</em></strong> <strong><em>it</em></strong>,” A. mocked. “You sound like a <strong><em>kindergartener</em></strong> !! Why is it when you screw up, you sit over here and play the victim card – I’m so <strong><em><span class="u">tired</span></em></strong> of everyone treating alcoholic pieces of shit like <strong><em><span class="u">you</span></em></strong> like some sort of <strong><em>sympathy</em></strong> mill !! You’re not a <strong><em>victim</em></strong>, Tim. You don’t walk around <strong><em>everyday</em></strong> with this <strong><em><span class="u">incurable</span></em></strong> illness like everyone likes to make <strong><em>alcoholics</em></strong> <strong><em><span class="u">seem</span></em></strong>. You are capable of <strong><em>change</em></strong>, Tim !!”</p><p>                “Look, just punch me out if that’s how you’re feeling !!” Tim shouted. “If you’re so mad at me, then <strong><em>do</em></strong> <strong><em>something</em></strong> <strong><em>about</em></strong> <strong><em>it</em></strong>, <strong><em><span class="u">pussy</span></em></strong> !!”</p><p>                Tim covered his mouth before he realized what he said. It was out in the air now, and he rarely ever swore anymore. He did his best not to, because he felt as if he were an ugly person if he did. He saw the person he used to be, and didn’t want to be. He saw that anger, and that sadness that he repressed for so long.</p><p>                “A., I’m –“ he started.</p><p>                His brother rubbed the bridge of his nose before he sat at the end of the bed.</p><p>                “I’m not <strong><em>mad</em></strong> at you,” A. said. “I’m just . . . <strong><em>disappointed</em></strong>.”</p><p>                Tim didn’t say anything. He didn’t really have a right to scream or yell. He was the last person to ridicule anyone at that given moment in time. He simply sat back and let his brother vent to him.</p><p>                “I was so scared when you were gone and when Jane was gone,” A. said. “I didn’t know if you ran off with her, and what you would do, and I wasn’t there to stop her from getting hurt that time. For all I know, you could’ve been halfway to the Canadian border with our sister, and you would’ve done god knows what.”</p><p>                Tim scooted to the edge of the bed. He wanted to hug A., but now wasn’t the time.</p><p>                “And now she’s in the hospital and she’s eight centimeters dilated,” A. said. “B. says she hasn’t stopped crying because she’s in labor, and you said you’d be there for her, but instead, you’re here, in this bed, because you decided to get drunk.”</p><p>                “Jane’s in labor ?” Tim asked. “She’s going to have the baby ?”</p><p>                His brother nodded.</p><p>                “Well, we have to get over there !!” Tim exclaimed. “There’s still time, we can make it if we take backroads – we have to –“</p><p>                “You still smell like booze,” A. commented. “You, at least, better go and shower.”</p><p>                “But I don’t have any clothes,” Tim said.</p><p>                “There’s a robe in the bathroom,” A. claimed. “If you really want to go see her, you’ll shower and put it on.”</p><p>                Tim went to inspect the said robe in the shower before he realized that it was a kimono robe meant for more intimate hours of the night. It might reach his mid – thigh if he was so lucky.</p><p>                “Do you got something I could wear underneath ?” Tim asked. “I don’t know if this’ll fit on me. I’m a bit taller than this.”</p><p>                His brother rummaged through the suitcase he packet for himself, before he tossed Tim a speedo.</p><p>                “Why are there four leg holes in - ?” Tim started. “Is there a space for your <strong><em>butt</em></strong> in this ?”</p><p>                “You better tuck tail and hold your kimono down, friend,” A. commented. “And give me that speedo back when you’re done with it.”</p><p>---</p><p>                Jane laid back on the bed before she looked over at B., who was suited up in disposable blue scrubs and a mask. She wore a hairnet to match, as her hair could possibly get in the way of the birthing process. The contractions were further together as she had dilated faster than she thought she would. She looked at the curtain one last time, and she smiled as she heard the door open.</p><p>                “Tim ?” she asked.</p><p>                Her doctor, Doctor Csupo, was the one to emerge from behind the medical curtain, and Jane simply sighed. He really wasn’t going to come in time for the birth of Taffeta, was he ?</p><p>                “Hi Doctor,” she greeted. “How am I – oh shit !!”</p><p>                Jane cringed and gripped onto the railing of the hospital bed as the muscles in her body tensed. It felt like there was a chainsaw caught in her stomach, and there was no way that it was coming out unless it was the natural way. Jane let off a cry as B. rushed to her side and held onto her forearm.</p><p>                “It’s okay, Jane,” he soothed. “You got this.”</p><p>                “No, I . . . <strong><em>don’t</em></strong> !!” she shouted. “<strong><em>I can’t do this</em></strong> !!”</p><p>                “You have to !!” B. exclaimed. “You can’t just suck the baby back in now !! She needs to come out !!”</p><p>                Doctor Csupo finished her examination to see how far dilated Jane currently was.</p><p>                “Your brother’s right, Jane,” she agreed. “I think you’re ready to start pushing now.”</p><p>                “<strong><em>No</em></strong>, <strong><em>I’m</em></strong> <strong><em>not</em></strong> !!” Jane cried. “<strong><em>Tim’s</em></strong> <strong><em>not</em></strong> <strong><em>here</em></strong>, <strong><em>he</em></strong> <strong><em>was</em></strong> <strong><em>supposed</em></strong> <strong><em>to</em></strong> <strong><em><span class="u">be</span></em></strong> <strong><em>here</em></strong> !!”</p><p>                “Jane, you can’t hold the baby in anymore, or else her heartrate will drop,” Doctor Csupo explained. “Please, please push for me. We want your baby to get here safe, don’t we ?”</p><p>                “<strong><em>Y</em></strong> – <strong><em>Yeah</em></strong>,” Jane shuttered. “<strong><em>W</em></strong> – <strong><em>We</em></strong> <strong><em>do</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “And what really matters is the baby being here, right ?” Doctor Csupo asked.</p><p>                “<strong><em>Y</em></strong> – <strong><em>Yeah</em></strong>.”</p><p>                “So will you push for me ?” Doctor Csupo asked.</p><p>                Jane nodded and B. wiped the tears from her eyes, before he squeezed her hand.</p><p>                “Okay, push,” Doctor Csupo instructed.</p><p>                Jane squeezed B.’s hand and let out a scream, before she heaved in another breath and felt that relief of a chainsaw going off inside of her go away, but it was replaced by the feeling of . . . you know, birth and motherhood ?</p><p>                “Sir, you need to come down here and see this !!” Doctor Csupo exclaimed at B..</p><p>                “W – Wait, what ?” he asked. “N – No !!”</p><p>                “I need you to assist me,” Doctor Csupo claimed. “Besides, someone needs to cut the cord !!”</p><p>---</p><p>                Patience and Sabrina began to run inside the hospital to try to get to the maternity ward before the police could get to them, but the police had beat them to the hospital, and now they were on a wild goose chase around the various waiting rooms and hallways of the hospital.</p><p>                “Look, there she is !!”</p><p>                “Ah shit !! Sabrina, this way !!” Patience exclaimed. “We’re almost to the maternity ward !!”</p><p>                Patience grabbed Sabrina’s hand before she bolted, with her best friend in tow, down one of the recovery room hallways, before she and Sabrina bumped into Nanny, Melanoff, and Ruth ( who looked a little tipsy for a sixteen year old . . . oops ).</p><p>                “Patience !!” Nanny exclaimed. “Jane went into labor ? Ruth told us everything !!”</p><p>                Ruth hiccupped as an echo.</p><p>                “Yeah, we’re tryin’ to get there, but these cops are on our tails !!” Patience explained.</p><p>                “You kids get to Jane,” Melanoff encouraged. “We’ll tell you that we saw you run towards the kids’ ward.”</p><p>                “Thanks, Mel, you’re the best !!” Patience dismissed.</p><p>                They ran down the hallway and almost turned left to head towards the maternity ward, but there was a set of officers there, and they noticed both Patience and Sabrina.</p><p>                “There they are, get them !!”</p><p>                “Shit !!” Patience shouted.</p><p>                “Let’s go right,” Sabrina suggested. “We could make a turn at the C.A.T scanning rooms, and turn at the maternity ward.”</p><p>                Patience nodded before she and Sabrina used their legs to sprint like Olympic runners down the hallways, before they ran into both A. and Tim.</p><p>                “A. !!” Patience shouted.</p><p>                “Patience ?” A. asked.</p><p>                She broke away from Sabrina, before she made a track race dash towards her husband, but before she could reach him, an officer came out of one of the rooms and tackled her to the ground.</p><p>                “What the hell ?”, “Shit !!”</p><p>                Everyone then paused as a chime of ‘Rock – A – Bye Baby’ played from the maternity ward, to signify that a baby was born.</p><p>                “Jane . . .” Tim whispered.</p><p>                He then broke from the crowd and sprinted towards the maternity ward.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Énouement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>◜ 　　　　◝ </p><p>ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕪 – 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖 : </p><p>𝔼́𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥</p><p>◟ 　   　　◞ </p><p> </p><p>                “Jane . . . Willoughby . . .” Tim gasped as he reached the front desk.</p><p>                “Excuse me ?” the nurse asked.</p><p>                “Jane Willoughby,” he repeated. “Which room is she in ?”</p><p>                “Oh, she just got moved to room four – oh – seven,” the nurse answered. “She might be bonding with the baby, so I’d recommend only a few visitors at a time.”</p><p>                He ignored her statement before he motioned for the party of A., Patience ( and the two officers that had her cuffed ), Sabrina, Nanny, Ruth ( who was still wine cooler buzzed ), and Melanoff to follow him towards the hospital room.</p><p>                They walked down the hallway, before he paused for a minute and peeked into another hospital room to see Queen, with a little pink hospital blanket bundled in her arms, and Dorian looked over her shoulder, and they both cooed at their baby with sweet, soft looks on their faces. He smiled to himself as he saw the woman he couldn’t stand, before he came to the realization that he and Queen simply weren’t meant to be. She was happy now, and if he were honest about it, being a mother suited her, and she finally found someone that could help her fulfill that dream – just like Jane did for him. He looked back towards his family and they continued up the hallway.</p><p>                They reached the room and Tim was the first to go in and he yanked the curtain open.</p><p>                He saw B., who looked up from his shaking hands, before he saw Jane and his heart fluttered as he caught a glimpse of the pink hospital blanket and a little bit of reddish – pink hair from the blanket.</p><p>                “I’ll let you two have your time alone,” B. said. “You guys might need it.”</p><p>                He got up from the vinyl couch before he went to the curtain and saw his family at the door.</p><p>                “Uhm . . . we should leave them alone for a little,” B. suggested. “I’m sure they have a lot to talk about. The cafeteria has chicken strips and gravy, and I’ll pay if you guys are hungry.”</p><p>                He left with the the family, which left the small family of Willoughbys together in the room.</p><p>                “Jane, I love you, and I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I should’ve been here, and I fucked up.”</p><p>                “What happened ?” she asked. “Why did you . . . start drinking ?”</p><p>                “Dorian married Queen,” he answered. “I freaked out when I saw her at the wedding, and I just didn’t want to worry so much at A.’s wedding, so I turned to drinking again – that doesn’t make it right, and that’s not really an excuse for what I did, but I can promise you this, right now . . .”</p><p>                Jane rose an eyebrow as she looked at her brother, who was now on one knee at the end of the hospital bed.</p><p>                “I’ll never, ever leave you or Taffeta ever again – not even if for a moment. I’ll always be there.”</p><p>                Jane giggled at him and shook her head. It was one mistake, and she knew he had it in him to still do good. He proved time and time again over these last nine months that he is a strong and resilient man, which is why she wanted him to be a part of their lives. Timothy Anthony Malachy Willoughby was – <strong><em><span class="u">is</span></em></strong> a good man.</p><p>                “You better keep that promise, because if A. doesn’t kill you . . .” she paused. “I totally will.”</p><p>                He looked up from the floor at his sister and smiled.</p><p>                “Now get over here,” she encouraged. “There’s someone that would like to meet you.”</p><p>                He got up from the ground before he went to the right side of the bed, and looked over her shoulder at the swaddled blanket bundle, before he couldn’t help but smile the goofiest grin as he saw Taffeta – his daughter, his baby. She was small, but they both expected that, with a pointy little nose, and thick eyelashes just like her momma. She had a full head of fluffy, wispy reddish pink hair, and her ears stuck out a little bit.</p><p>                She was <strong><em>definitely</em></strong> a Willoughby.</p><p>                “Do you want to hold her ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Yes,” he answered almost immediately.</p><p>                “Okay, so you remember how to hold a baby, right ?” Jane asked. “She’s still little, so she can’t support her own head yet. You have to hold her head, and her back –“</p><p>                “I know how to do this, Jane,” he insisted. “I’ve been around more babies than you in my lifetime.”</p><p>                She laughed at the comment, because . . . he was right. She wasn’t a kid person, and normally tried to avoid them as much as possible, but now . . . she was sure that her baby was pretty neat. Okay, okay, Jane didn’t actually want to give up her baby to even be held by anyone for awhile. She didn’t think she was capable of loving anything or anyone this much, and that said a lot, because, even though she wouldn’t say it out loud, she adored Tim. Now, she would use Tim as a human shield to protect their baby.</p><p>                She reluctantly handed Taffeta to Tim, and he sat down on the vinyl couch, before he held his daughter out in front of himself.</p><p>                He looked at her in the lighting, to see that she had freckles, just like Jane did. He smiled and couldn’t take his eyes off of the precious little thing, swaddled safely in a blanket. He really did want to be better, for Jane, for Taffeta. Simply the sight of Taffeta alone was enough to make Tim want to be better.</p><p>                “She’s beautiful, isn’t she ?” Jane asked. “I mean, the poor kid got our ears, but the rest of her . . .”</p><p>                “She really is,” Tim agreed. “Looks just like her momma.”</p><p>                “Kind of looks like her poppa too,” Jane teased. “I mean, you are her biological uncle, so she has to look like you a little bit. I wonder what her sperm donor looked like, because he doesn’t look out of the ordinary from a Willoughby. I thought she’d at least have a few of his traits – a different nose, a different mouth shape, a birthmark – something we don’t happen to have.”</p><p>                “Well, our bloodline is strong,” Tim suggested. “Most marriages in the family were arranged up until our great – great grandpa Stevenson, and even then great – great grandma Henriette had similar features, but they lived in a place populated with a lot of people that look alike.”</p><p>                “You really do have our family history memorized, don’t you ?” she asked.</p><p>                “Locked in like a bank vault,” he joked. “Speaking of family, have you sang to her yet ?”</p><p>                “I don’t really sing anymore,” Jane sighed. “Grew out of it, I guess.”</p><p>                “Aw, come on, she’d love to hear you sing !!” Tim exclaimed. “If you don’t, I will.”</p><p>                “Oh god, it doesn’t have to come to that,” Jane commented. “I just . . . don’t know if I’m ready.”</p><p>                “I’ll close my ears,” he said. “Or I’ll leave.”</p><p>                “You’re a dope.”</p><p>                “You still love me.”</p><p>                “But you’re still a dope.”</p><p>                He handed Taffeta back to Jane and leaned forward on his elbows, as he watched her take a breath in.</p><p>                “I’m not going to do it if you’re weird about it,” Jane claimed.</p><p>                He sat back up and raised his hands.</p><p>                “Fine, fine,” he said.</p><p>                Jane took a deep breath in again, before she shuttered at the fact that she was about to sing for the first time in years. What if she wasn’t as good as she used to be ? What if Taffeta didn’t like it ? She knew she couldn’t worry about the dumb stuff, because what was the harm in trying ?</p><p>                “<em>All of my life</em>, <em>I thought I was right</em> – <em>looking for something new</em> . . .” she started. “<em>Stuck in my ways</em>, <em>like old fashion days</em>, <em>but all the roads led me to you</em> . . .”</p><p>                She smiled as she looked to Tim, and back to their baby.</p><p>                “<em>The house that you live in don’t make it a home</em>, <em>but feeling lonely don’t mean you’re alone</em> . . .” she continued. “<em>People in life</em>, <em>they will come and they’ll leave</em>, <em>but if I had a choice</em>, <em>I know where I’d be</em> . . .”</p><p>                She bounced Taffeta lightly in her arms and giggled at her, as she wiggled in her blanket.</p><p>                “<em>Through the lows and the highs</em>, <em>I will stay by your side</em>. <em>There’s no need for goodbyes</em>, <em>now I’m seeing the light </em>. . .” she finished. “<em>When they sky turn to grey</em>, <em>and there’s nothing to say</em>. <em>At the end of the day</em> . . . <em>I choose you</em> . . .”</p><p>                Both her and Tim gasped when Taffeta opened her eyes and managed to focus on Jane and even giggle softly before she went back to sleep. They looked at eachother, with both their jaws slack.</p><p>                “I think she liked it,” Tim claimed. “Did you see that ? She opened her eyes !!”</p><p>                “Wasn’t she the cutest thing ever ?” Jane gushed.</p><p>                The curtain opened again, and they saw B. poke his head in.</p><p>                “Hey, are you guys done with your old married people argument ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Hey, not all old married people argue,” Nanny explained.</p><p>                “Your mom and I are very happy together,” Melanoff agreed. “There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by where we’ve argued or fought – some people are just perfect for eachother !!”</p><p>                “I won’t lie,” Patience started. “A. and I argue, but we always come together in the end.”</p><p>                “Can we stop with the sappy love talk ?” Sabrina asked. “You’re making the police escorts want to vomit.”</p><p>                “Speakin’ of escorts – will ya’ get off me ?” Patience asked.</p><p>                “Guys, come in,” Tim encouraged. “There’s someone we’d like you to meet.”</p><p>                Jane felt her chest swell, but this time it wasn’t with anger or discomfort. It was like that one book – The Grinch; how his heart grew three sizes that day. For the past few years, she had been angry at Nanny and Melanoff, when all they were trying to do was look out for her, like a family would do. Maybe it was the hormone imbalance, or the fact that she started to see things as a mother too, but she couldn’t possibly be angry at them anymore. She was over it, and she was ready to get over this grudge.</p><p>                “Jane,” Nanny whispered.</p><p>                Jane smiled at both of her adoptive parents, and she even felt tears come to her eyes as she saw them again. Normally the thought of them made her cold, but this time, she was warm. She was possibly even blushing due to it.</p><p>                “Hi,” she simply said back. “I’m . . . I’m . . . sorry. I’m sorry I haven’t –“</p><p>                Both Nanny and Melanoff came over and squeezed her, Tim, and Taffeta in a hug and she was greeted with cheek pinches and shushes from both of them.</p><p>                “We know you had to have missed us too,” Melanoff claimed. “But we knew we shouldn’t smother you to smithereens. You were right, you had to grow on your own.”</p><p>                “And you have made us so, so proud,” Nanny agreed. “You have it in you to be great woman, and you’ve proved that to us time and time again. We knew you’d come back eventually, but you needed to spread your wings first.”</p><p>                “You really did !!” Melanoff reassured. “I heard your business was doing stupendous, and speaking of stupendous, Tim . . . our app had almost seven – hundred thousand downloads within the first day !!”</p><p>                “Seven hundred ?” Jane asked.</p><p>                “I forgot !!” Tim exclaimed. “Our app launched at twelve o’clock this morning !!”</p><p>                “That’s amazing, Tim !!” A. exclaimed. “You actually had a bright idea for once.”</p><p>                “I can’t take all the credit for the idea,” Tim claimed. “Jane was the one that gave me the inspiration for it all.”</p><p>                “You always were a creative bunch,” Nanny teased. “Whether it be machines, music, or art.”</p><p>                “Even if your dandy dirigibles did get caught in the cogs and conveyor belts,” Melanoff joked.</p><p>                “Look, we said we were sorry !!” A. exclaimed.</p><p>                “Speaking of good news,” B. redirected. “I got the job at the museum !! I have to start next Monday !! I’ll be making three times as much as I did at the skate shop, and I might be able to move into a bigger apartment.”</p><p>                “Or a starter home,” Sabrina suggested. “There’s a few good starter homes down on Kirkland, I’m sure you could afford one . . . with a roommate’s help.”</p><p>                “Yeah,” B. agreed. “Where do you suggest I find a roommate ? I could always ask Todd from the skate shop if he wants to move out of his aunt’s basem –“</p><p>                “Or I could live with you,” Sabrina suggested.</p><p>                “Oh !!” B. gasped. “Well, uhm, that’s even better, I think.”</p><p>                “So, everyone’s lives are comin’ together !!” Patience exclaimed. “Tim and Jane had a baby, Jane and y’all’s parents made up, B.’s got a job that isn’t a high school dropout’s job, Sabrina’s movin’ out of her parent’s place, A. and I are married – hey, where’s Ruth ?”</p><p>                Everyone looked out of the hospital room to see that the officers that once had Patience in handcuffs had disappeared, before they heard a commotion in the hallway. Most of them, with the exception of Jane and Taffeta, looked out the doorway to see that Ruth was atop a vending machine, with fistfuls of candy that she probably shook the machine for.</p><p>                “You have to pay for that, little girl !!”</p><p>                “<strong><em>Who</em></strong> <strong><em>ya’</em></strong> <strong><em>callin’</em></strong> ‘<strong><em>little</em></strong> <strong><em>girl’</em></strong>, <strong><em>I</em></strong> <strong><em>am</em></strong> <strong><em>the</em></strong> <strong><em><span class="u">Candy</span></em></strong> <strong><em><span class="u">Overlord</span></em></strong>, <strong><em>ya’</em></strong> <strong><em>ditzy</em></strong> <strong><em><span class="u">twat</span></em></strong> !!”</p><p>                “Oh, we better take her home,” Nanny claimed. “Before she gets herself into more trouble for the night.”</p><p>                “Don’t we have a disaster child on our hands,” Melanoff sighed.</p><p>                He went back into the hospital room, for a moment, to wish Jane farewell from him and Nanny.</p><p>                “Jane, we have to go, Ruth is causing a hullabaloo outside,” he claimed. “We promise we’ll be back to see you all tomorrow, but for now, give her all the hugs and cheek pinches from Granny and Grandpop !!”</p><p>                “You guys are leaving so soon ?” she asked. “Are you sure you don’t want to hold her one time before you have to go ?”</p><p>                “Okay, one time,” he agreed. “But don’t tell your mom, or else she’ll get jealous.”</p><p>                He gave her a wink before he sat down on the vinyl couch and Jane allowed him to take the baby from her.</p><p>                She had to laugh at the enormous size of Melanoff to the itty – bitty bundled baby that was Taffeta. It was a lot like when Ruth was little, except Ruth had to have been a little older than Taffeta, because she was crawling all over everyone like her own personal jungle gym when she was held. She was a little hooligan baby in comparison to the mild, and quiet nature of Taffeta.</p><p>                “She looks exactly like you !!” he complimented.</p><p>                “I don’t know <em>how,</em> and I don’t know <em>why</em>,” Jane started. “But I see a lot of Tim in her. Look at those ears. I know my ears aren’t exactly small, but she could probably pick up radio signals with those things. Maybe even hear gnats fly.”</p><p>                “Don’t be so harsh to her, Jane,” Melanoff scolded. “She’s only a baby. She might grow into them in a few months. It took Ruthie almost two years to get a full head of hair.”</p><p>                “Poor kid,” Jane teased. “I couldn’t imagine being bald. I can’t recall a time where my hair was anywhere above the waist.”</p><p>                “I think you would look good with shorter hair,” Melanoff suggested. “Maybe to your upper back ?”</p><p>                Jane thought for a moment. She had always hesitated in going any further above her back, but maybe it would actually look good on her. She didn’t want to think too hard on it, because there were definitely bigger priorities than a haircut at the moment. She needed to focus on figuring out all the things she needed to know about Taffeta, like a sleeping schedule, or a feeding schedule. One thing was for sure, she was still <strong><em>not</em></strong> breastfeeding.</p><p>                “Mel, we have to go !!” Nanny called from the door. “Jane, tell the baby we love her and her cute, squishy, little face !!”</p><p>                Melanoff gave Jane the baby back, and rubbed Jane’s head.</p><p>                “You get a good night’s rest,” he recommended. “You and your brother are going to need it.”</p><p>                She giggled at his suggestion and nodded, before she looked at her baby, to see that Taffeta was still fast asleep. Her daughter had a long day, being pushed through a cylindrical muscle and all. Must’ve been a traumatic experience, like a watermelon that got pushed through a straw.</p><p>                Tim, the twins, Patience, and Sabrina returned into the room.</p><p>                “Shoot !!” Patience whined. “Would sure be fantastic if we had some bolt cutters right about now. Those bastards left with the key to these darn handcuffs !!”</p><p>                “Well, we’re in town,” A. started. “We could always head back to our place and get our bolt cutters.”</p><p>                “Yeah, I’d better get going too,” Sabrina said. “I’d rather have an alibi if the cops ask anything about me. My ma would have a cow if she found out I was in a high speed police chase.”</p><p>                “I can take you home if you want,” B. suggested. “I’ll even lie and say we left early and got some Ham Bros. or something so she wouldn’t suspect a thing – after all, new roomies look out for eachother.”</p><p>                “Oh, actually, you could get the bold cutters from our house,” Tim suggested. “And while you’re there, can you get the hospital bag, and a pair of my pajamas and clothes ? The bag is in Taffeta’s closet.”</p><p>                “Yeah, speaking of clothes,” Jane started. “What are you wearing ?”</p><p>                Tim spun around to show off the silk, lingerie kimono to Jane.</p><p>                “And that’s not even the best part,” he claimed.</p><p>                Tim promptly lifted the back of the kimono to reveal the heart shaped hole that exposed his pale butt to everyone, before he snickered to himself as he put the kimono back over the speedo.</p><p>                “Oh !!” Jane groaned. “So, I’m not the only one with my butt exposed in here.”</p><p>                “My lord !!” Patience exclaimed. “That’s burned into my brain now . . .”</p><p>                “Not really the butt you thought you’d be seeing on your wedding night, huh, Patience ?” Tim joked.</p><p>                “I don’t think anybody really thought they were going to see that tonight !!” B. exclaimed. “C’mon Sabrina, lets get out of here before he decides to try out a few moves he learned at Glitter Gulch.”</p><p>                “Gladly,” Sabrina agreed.</p><p>                “Bye, you guys,” Jane called.</p><p>                “Bring me back the stuff !!” Tim added.</p><p>                The twins left with Patience and Sabrina in tow, which left Tim and Jane in the room to recharge with Taffeta.</p><p>                “So, what was it like ?” he asked. “When she was born ?”</p><p>                “Well, it was . . . hard,” Jane started. “Not hard as in, like painful, but hard as in like . . . emotional. I just wanted you there, and I wanted that support and love that only you know how to give me. I missed your voice, and I missed your touch. B. did his best, for sure, but you know . . . I know it would’ve been better if you were there.”</p><p>                “I feel shitty that I missed it, even when I promised time and time again that I was going to be there for you,” he apologized. “To be fair, I woke up with the worst hangover ever and I smelled straight up like alcohol, then I was stuck wearing this weird outfit. It’s not really the outfit I would’ve picked to see my baby in for the first time, but life doesn’t always go our way.”</p><p>                “Karma’s a bitch,” Jane claimed. “But, it wasn’t all bad.”</p><p>                “Hm ?”</p><p>                “The birth,” Jane explained. “There were still good things about it.”</p><p>                “Like ?” Tim asked.</p><p>                “I remember that it felt like I had been pushing for forever, and the hands on the clock had been marching on in one spot for a long time. Time didn’t really make sense to me while I was pushing. B. was panicked, of course, and kept on shouting that he could see everything, but you know, I’m half naked with my legs up, so he was going to see something at the very least,” she explained. “Eventually, I remember that I heard this noise, and felt these little pitter patters against my thighs, before I heard Doctor Csupo get a nose thing to get the boogers and fluids out. Then, I looked up and saw her. She started crying, and Doctor Csupo announced that she was a girl, before B. promptly turned to grab the trashcan and puke his guts out.”</p><p>                Tim laughed quietly at the story. How different it would’ve been if he were there. He had always dreamt of cutting the cord, and seeing his daughter be born, regardless of how gross the process was, but he made a dumb decision, and dumb decisions didn’t get rewards, obviously.</p><p>                “I saw Queen,” he said. “She had her baby tonight too, but . . . you know, being a mom suits her. I’m glad she got what she wanted, even if I couldn’t give it to her.”</p><p>                “<strong><em>Queen</em></strong> had her baby ?” Jane asked. “With our luck, Megan would be next to us, popping out another one of those packrats she calls kids.”</p><p>                “Ugh, I hope that woman doesn’t have more kids,” Tim groaned. “The last thing this world needs are more Megans.”</p><p>                “You said it yourself,” Jane agreed. “Hopefully the next we hear from her is that she’s getting her tubes tied.”</p><p>                “Did you get your tubes tied ?” he asked.</p><p>                “Nah,” Jane answered. “I mean, I don’t really use my uterus anyway, so what would be the point ?”</p><p>                “Aw,” Tim cooed. “Are you sure it’s not that you want Taffeta to have a little brother or sister ?”</p><p>                “I can wholeheartedly say that Taffeta will be my first and last kid,” Jane confirmed. “Look, having a baby ended up being nice and all, but I know that I don’t want a lot of kids. This cutie right here is good enough for me.”</p><p>                Tim laughed to himself and he nodded in agreement.</p><p>                “Yeah . . .” he sighed. “She is kind of perfect.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>❇ || Howdy guys !! I just wanted to thank you all for being wonderful and reading this story, but don't be alarmed !! I have plenty more ideas for this AU, and this is the first book of a few !! If you want to follow my updates, you can follow me at @mommajaneandpoppatimau on Tumblr !! You guys are wonderful, and I hope you enjoyed this first wild ride !! Love and hugs, from your humbled writer, Lop !! 💖</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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